How Do Scallops Reproduce? A Detailed Explanation of Reproduction Methods and Process
How do scallops reproduce? Scallops are actually hermaphrodites. They grow and develop very quickly. From the start of seedling cultivation and farming in spring each year to autumn, the gonads of scallops can mature, and they can be used as parent scallops for egg collection and seedling cultivation. The gonads of scallops are located in the abdomen. The testis is located at the edge of the abdomen and is milky white when mature. The ovary is located on the inner side of the testis. When mature, it turns brownish red. Usually there is a layer of black membrane on the surface of the gonad area. As the gonad gradually matures, the black membrane gradually disappears, and the testis and ovary can then be clearly seen.
Once the gonads of scallops begin to develop, the temperature must be kept stable and they must be given sufficient food. This can promote early maturation of the gonads and the release of sperm and eggs. On the northern coast, scallops have only one reproductive period per year.
In northern China, scallops have only one reproductive period per year, about 3-4 months, with a water temperature of 5°C-9°C. Other scallops have two reproductive seasons each year, in spring and autumn. For example, the spring season for scallops is from May to June, with a water temperature of 14°C-16°C; autumn is September, with a water temperature of 22°C-21°C. The spring season for bay scallops is from June to July, with a water temperature of 20°C-23°C; autumn is from September to October, with a water temperature of 20°C-18°C. The spring season for noble scallops is from May to June, with a water temperature of 20°C-21°C; autumn is from lO-November, with a water temperature of 26°C-22°C.
After scallop eggs are fertilized, the individual development process is basically the same. Take the self-development process of the bay scallop as an example. Scallop sperm fertilizes in seawater at a water temperature of 20'C-23°C, and the first polar body appears 10-ZO minutes after fertilization. It develops into a larva within 17 hours and into a D-shaped larva, that is, the initial larva, within 20 hours. At this point, the yolk is exhausted and feeding begins. At the development temperature, the higher the temperature, the faster the development.