Abstract

Samples of Potamocorbula ustulata ustulata were collected monthly from October 2004 to November 2005 in the Jujin estuary of Gochang, Chollabuk-do, west coast of Korean peninsula. Age of P. ustulata ustulata was determined by the rings on the shell. The relationship between the shell length and the ring diameter in each ring group was expressed as a regression line. Therefore, there is a correspondence in each ring formation. Based on the monthly variation of the marginal index (MI') of the shell, it is assumed that the ring of this species was formed once a year during October to December. The relationship between the shell length (SL) and the shell height (SH; mm) was highly correlated with shell height as the following equation: SH = 0.6438 SL + 0.5642 (<TEX>$r^2\;=\;0.978$</TEX>). The shell length (SL) - shell width (SW) relation was also expressed by the following equation: SW = 0.4352 SL - 0.5675 (<TEX>$r^2\;=\;0.957$</TEX>). Shell length (SL; mm) and the total weight (TW; g) followed: <TEX>$TW\;=\;6.999\;{\times}\;10^{-5}\;SL^{3.2542}(r^2\;=\;0.975)$</TEX>. Growth curves for the shell length and the total weight fitted to the von Bertalanffy's growth curve were expressed respectively as: <TEX>$$SL_t=30.77[1-e^{-0.4572(t+0.7371)}],\;TW_t=4.87[1-e^{-0.4572(t+0.7371)}]^{3.2542}.$$</TEX>