Population dynamics of Corbicula fluminea (Muller 1774) from Laguna lake.

Corbicula fluminea (Muller 1774), or Asian clams, are natives of the freshwater habitats in the Philippines. They are important filter-feeders and potential organisms that can be used for improving water quality. However, most of the published literature on the ecology of this organism is situated in temperate regions, where its accidental or deliberate introduction has caused serious ecological, conservational, and economic problems. In the Philippines, where the Asian clam is native, minimal studies are being done on its ecology. The project results will provide baseline information on the ecology, more specifically the population dynamics of the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea (Muller 1774), in the south bay of Laguna lake. This project has three studies that will investigate the following attributes: (1) population density and age structure, (2) biomechanical filtration ability, and (3) in-situ and ex-situ growth rates.