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  3. Meretrix petechialis

Meretrix petechialis

Basic information
Scientific name Meretrix petechialis (No picture)
Common names Hard clam
Higher taxon Veneridae, Veneroida, Bivalvia, Mollusca
Natural range Korean Peninsula, China, N Vietnam.
Habitat Tidal flat of inner bay.
Invasion information
Range in Japan No known evidence for establishment in Japan. However, hard clam is constantly released for culture fishery and possibly some times escape. There have been records in the fields in Chiba, Tokyo, Toyama, Wakayama, Okayama, Kagawa, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima Prefs. Range in Japan
Origin Continental China, North Korea.
Date Records in the fields were in 1970s (Kagawa Pref.), 1990s (Tokyo Bay, Toyama, Wakayama, and Kumamoto Prefs.), and 2000s (Tokyo Bay, Wakayama, Okayama, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima Prefs.). The first culture fishery was in 1969 in Mie Pref.
Route Escape of released clams for culture fishery.
Impact Potentially: hybridization with native congeneric clam.
Native organism(s) affected: Native clam M. luciria
Regulation in Japan One of the Worst 100 Invasive Aliens Species of Japan.
Introduced range in other countries Unknown.
Reference Notes
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki. (in Jpn)
  • Ecol Soc Japan (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijin-Shokan. (in Jpn)
  • Iwasaki et al. (2004) Human-mediated introduction and dispersal of marine organisms in Japan: Results of a questionnaire survey by the committee for the preservation of the natural environment, the Japanese association of benthology. Jpn J Benthol. 59:22-44. (in Jpn with English abstract)
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
  • etc.