BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Tellina fabula

Researched by

Will Rayment

Data supplied by

MarLIN

Refereed by

This information is not refereed.

Reproduction/Life History

Reproductive type

Gonochoristic

Developmental mechanism

Planktotrophic

Reproductive Season

March to September

Reproductive Location

Insufficient information

Reproductive frequency

Annual protracted

Regeneration potential

Life span

3-5 years

Age at reproductive maturity

1-2 years

Generation time

1-2 years

Fecundity

Insufficient information

Egg/propagule size

Insufficient information

Fertilization type

Insufficient information

Larvae/Juveniles
Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential	>10km	Larval settlement period	Insufficient information
Duration of larval stage	11-30 days

Reproduction Preferences Additional Information

Salzwedel (1979) observed the reproductive cycle of a population of Fabulina fabula (studied as Tellina fabula) from the German Bight. The first spawning occurred in March and the first spatfall occurred in April/May. The main spawning period was in July/August with the peak in spatfall being between July and September. Individuals that spawned in March also spawned again later in the year, whilst individuals that spawned for the first time in the summer spawned only once in the year. Spawning resulted in a mean weight loss of 23%.
Development after settlement appears to be highly dependent on environmental conditions. Withers (1977) recorded spatfall of Fabulina fabula (studied as Tellina fabula) at Oxwich in Wales. 14 months after settlement, individuals had grown to lengths between 5.5 mm and 11 mm. In contrast, post settlement individuals from the Øresund took 21 months to reach 3-4.5 mm in length (Muus, 1973). Salzwedel (1979) reported that Fabulina fabula reached maturity at a shell length of 10 mm. Given the above growth rates, it would appear that maturity could be reached in one year for fast growing individuals in warmer climates but may take 2 years or more for populations in colder water.
Salzwedel (1979) reported annual mortality of Fabulina fabula of 41% in the laboratory versus 82-96% in situ. The difference was attributed to the impacts of predation and substratum erosion in the natural environment.

Reproduction References

Fish & Fish, 1996, Tebble, 1976, Warwick et al., 1978, Lopez-Jamar et al., 1995, Salzwedel, 1979, Bosselmann, 1991, Bosselmann, 1988, Bosselmann, 1989,