Survival of the Ark Shell, Scapharca subcrenata and Physiological and Histological Changes at Decreasing Salinity

We examined physiological and histological responses related to the survival, oxygen consumption, excretion, and O/N ratio of the ark shell, Scapharca subcrenata, as a result of salinity changes. The 20-day $LS_{50}$ (median lethal salinity) at $15^{\circ}C$ was 13.87 practical salinity units (psu; confidence limits 10.30-18.74 psu), whereas the 14-day $LS_{50}$ at $25^{\circ}C$ was 12.59 psu (confidence limits 8.03-18.16 psu). In conditions of decreasing salinity, the osmolarity of individuals acclimated within 5 h above 26.4 psu but required more than 60 h below 13.2 psu. Oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates varied irregularly as salinity decreased. The O/N ratio was 19 and 27 at water temperatures of $15^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ , respectively, but decreased to 1-10 as salinity declined. The effects of decreasing salinity were observed in the histological changes to each organ of S. subcrenata. As salinity decreased, cilia fell off, the epithelial layer underwent necrosis and vacuolation, the connective tissue layers of the mantle and visceral mass were destroyed, and hemocytes increased in the gills. The results of this study could prove important in investigating causes of mass mortality and managing shellfish aquaculture farms.