Fecundity of the Southern Atlantic Surfclam Spisula solidissima similis

Fecundity estimates for two groups of the southern Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima similis, a subspecies of the Atlantic Surfclam S. solidissima, from St. Catherines Sound, Georgia, were determined in laboratory spawning trials. For 1‐year‐old clams ranging in shell length from 26 to 50 mm, egg production per female ranged from 0.14 million to 13 million eggs. The House Creek group produced a greater mean number of eggs per female (4.8 × 106 versus 1.7 × 106) and spawned 2.8 times more than a St. Catherines Sound group. Overall, eggs from the House Creek group (mean, 59.1 μm) were significantly larger (P < 0.0001) than eggs (mean, 57.4 um) from the St. Catherines Sound group. Although small in size, 1‐year‐old southern Atlantic surfclams can produce sufficient numbers of eggs per female to be used as broodstock for the development of an aquacultural fishery for this subspecies.