Jd. Bell et al., VILLAGE-BASED FARMING OF THE GIANT CLAM, TRIDACNA-GIGAS (L), FOR THE AQUARIUM MARKET - INITIAL TRIALS IN SOLOMON-ISLANDS, Aquaculture research, 28(2), 1997, pp. 121-128
Between 1989 and 1992, small-scale grow-out trials of cultured Tridacn
a gigas (L.) were established at 40 coastal villages in Solomon Island
s. The juvenile giant clams were delivered to village participants at
a mean size of 34.6 mm shell length (SL) and a mean age of 380 days. T
he clams were grown in cages of wire mesh placed on trestles in shallo
w, subtidal, coral reef habitats. After a mean grow-out period of 297
days, the clams were a mean size of 77.6 mm SL, a suitable size for sa
le to the aquarium market. Mean growth rate was 4.1 mn month(-1) In 32
of the 53 cages involved in the trials, all clams were removed comple
tely from the cage every 3 months for cleaning, The mean survival rate
of these clams was 54%. The clams in the remaining 21 cages were not
removed for cleaning and their survival was significantly lower (22%).
The growth rate of clams removed for cleaning (3.7 mm month(-1)) was,
however, significantly lower than the growth rate of undisturbed clam
s (4.8 mm month(-1)). At current prices for juvenile T. gigas in the a
quarium trade, farmers who regularly cleaned clams would have netted a
minimum of US$180 for a cage initially stocked with 390 clams. Farmer
s who did not clean their clams would have netted only US$40 per cage
due to poorer survival.