Length–weight Relationship of Mangrove Clam Anodontia edentula (Linnaeus, 1758) from Kattampally, Valapattanam River, Kerala, India

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems have provided a variety of goods and services to the coastal communities over centuries (Primavera et al., 2002). Mangrove forests are considered as safe nursery ground for several organisms including finfish, crustaceans and molluscs. Toothless lucine, mangrove clam Anadontia edentula is widely distributed in the mangrove forest of Indo-Pacific extending from East and South Africa towards Madagascar and the Red Sea and to eastern Polynesia and from southern Australia to northern Japan (sealifebase.ca). It is an edible clam living in burrows, from surface up to about half meter deep in the inter tidal zones of the mangrove areas. Mangrove clams are collected by the local population for consumption and it fetch a good price in south east Asian countries like Philippines (Primavera et al., 2002).