The Relationships among Food, Temperature, and Gonad Development of the Bay Scallops Aequipecten irradians Lamarck

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Abstract
The relationships among food, temperature and gonad development to maturation of bay scallops, Aequipecten irradians Lamarck, in the resting reproductive stage were studied by exposing the animals collected in winter to various experimental conditions in the laboratory. Scallops exposed to 15[degree]C. and 20[degree]C. with food showed some increase of gonad index when compared with the starved animals. All the scallops maintained at these 2 temperatures initiated gametogenesis as evidenced by the development of oogonia, spermatids, spermatocytes and spermatozoa. The oogonia developed at 15[degree]C, or in the starved animals at 20[degree] C, did not enter the growth phase. As the time the scallops were held under starvation was prolonged, the oogonia became less numerous at both temperatures. Oocyte growth to the stage of the dissolution of the germinal vesicle occurred only in scallops maintained at 20[degree] C. with food. After dissolution of the germinal vesicle at 20[degree] C, the oocytes reached a fertilizable stage only when exposed to higher temperatures. In contrast to the response of scallops at 15[degree]C. and 20[degree]C, the resting reproductive stage animals exposed to 25[degree]C. and 30[degree] C. died quickly without gonad development. The scallops maintained for 30 days at 15[degree]C. or 20[degree]C. with food, when transferred to 20[degree]C. or 25[degree]C. developed the oocytes. The results of this study suggest that gonad development of scallops is initiated when they are exposed to a minimum developmental temperature and when provided with food.

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