Larval cryopreservation as new management tool for threatened clam fisheries

Cryopreservation is the only reliable method for long-term storage of biological material that guarantees genetic stability. This technique can be extremely useful for the conservation of endangered species and restock natural populations for declining species. Many factors have negatively affected the populations of high economical value shellfish in Spain and, as a result, many are declining or threatened nowadays. This study was focused on early-life stages of Venerupis corrugata, Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum to develop successful protocols to enhance the conservation effort and sustainable shellfishery resources. Firstly, common cryoprotecting agents (CPAs) were tested to select the suitable permeable CPA attending to toxicity. Cryopreservation success using different combinations of CPA solutions, increasing equilibrium times and larval stages was evaluated attending to survival and shell growth at 2 days post-thawing. Older clam development stages were more tolerant to CPA toxicity, being ethylene-glycol (EG) and Propylene-glycol (PG) the least toxic CPAs. CPA solution containing EG yielded the highest post-thawing survival rate and the increase of equilibration time was not beneficial for clam larvae. Cryopreservation of trochophores yielded around 50% survivorship, whereas over 80% of cryopreserved D-larvae were able to recover after thawing.