2026/06/06 by Jeff C. Clements, Brian F. Beal, Tessa Houston +3 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · #Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior #Crustacean biology and ecology #Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
paper · doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2026.107780
openalex created_date 2026/06/06 · openalex publication_date 2026/06/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/07
Declines in landings and abundances of soft-shell clams ( Mya arenaria L.) are apparent across eastern North America. While reasons for such declines likely vary by region, concerns regarding issues of fecundity and reproductive stock, and the effectiveness of minimum legal size limits, have been raised. We provide a contemporary understanding of estimated fecundity for soft-shell clams from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (SGSL) and Gulf of Maine (GOM), focusing on how clam size influences oocyte production and viability. We also estimate likely outcomes of various size limit management scenarios with respect to fishery yields and female reproductive stock compared to the current 50 mm (SGSL) and 50.8 mm (2 in.; GOM) minimum size limits. Estimated oocyte production increased dramatically with clam shell length in both the SGSL and GOM. On average, 58% and 63% of oocytes were viable for the SGSL (pre-spawning) and GOM (post-spawning), respectively. Viability rates were consistent across clam size, but were highly variable. In the context of legal size limits, our data suggest that upper size limits of 65 mm in the SGSL, and 88.9 mm in the GOM, coupled with a reduced minimum legal size limit of 40 mm, would increase female reproductive stock and have minimal effects on fishery yields. Along with elucidating aspects of soft-shell clam reproductive biology, this study provides resource managers with pertinent information when considering legal size limits for soft-shell clams. Furthermore, our results provide a template for applying such an approach to clam fisheries management globally.