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News- Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute have successfully achieved captive breeding and full life-cycle completion of mangrove clam under controlled hatchery conditions.
About Mangrove Clam (Geloina erosa)
- It is an ecologically and economically important bivalve found in mangrove and estuarine ecosystems.
- Scientific Name: The scientific name of mangrove clam is Geloina erosa, and it is also placed under the genus Polymesoda in some literature.
- The Mangrove Clam, commonly known as the mud clam or locally as “Kandal Kakka” in northern Kerala.
- Habitat: It inhabits organic-rich muddy substrates in intertidal mangrove zones and tolerates a wide salinity range from brackish to nearly freshwater conditions.
- Distribution: It is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, including parts of northern Kerala.
- Key Features
- Large Size: It is one of the largest mud clams in the world and can reach up to 10 cm shell width.
- Burrowing Nature: It is a deep-burrowing bivalve found in muddy mangrove ecosystems.
- Filter Feeding: It feeds by filtering suspended particles and plankton from water.
- Ecological Role: It recycles nutrients and stabilizes sediments, which strengthens mangrove ecosystems.
- Life Cycle: Its life cycle includes larval stage, spat, juvenile and adult phases.
- Threats: Wild stocks in India are declining due to indiscriminate harvesting, habitat degradation, pollution, and coastal development, along with absence of scientific stock assessment and fishing restrictions.
- Significance: It supports food security, sustainable livelihoods, and mangrove ecosystem conservation.
