Xinhua Silk Road: New aquaculture hard clam strain developed in Rizhao, addressing bottlenecks in shellfish seedling production

BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new high-quality aquaculture strain of hard-shell clam, dubbed "Yuhai No.1", has been successfully developed by Yuhai Hongqi Ocean Engineering Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Rizhao Agricultural Development Group, in Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, through an innovation system that features in-depth collaboration among industry, academia and research institutions.

The U.S. hard-shell clam, also known as Mercenaria mercenaria, has gained wide market recognition for its delicate flavor and nutritional value. The species was introduced to China in the 1990s, and a well-established commercial aquaculture system has been developed in the country after decades of domestication and technological advances.

Leveraging independently developed core technologies for microalgae feed and an innovative shrimp-clam ecological polyculture model, Yuhai Hongqi has successfully addressed the bottleneck for shellfish seedling production, injecting strong technological momentum into the green transformation of modern fisheries in Rizhao and helping improve quality and increase incomes of the industry.

The development of the "Yuhai No.1" also relied on the company's strengths in white-leg shrimp farming and the high-quality hard clam germplasm developed by the Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS). These efforts have helped address longstanding challenges in shellfish seedling production, including low survival rates and unstable feed supplies.

The new strain also delivers significant ecological benefits. As filter-feeding shellfish, hard clams can efficiently filter waste from the water, helping purify water and reduce the energy consumption of recirculating water treatment. The combination of shrimp farming and shellfish-based water purification creates a green circular model in which water is used for multiple purposes and different species complement each other ecologically, closely aligning with the modern fisheries industry's goals of water conservation and low-carbon development.

Supported by the well-established aquaculture system developed by IOCAS, together with the company's proprietary feed technologies and the platform advantages of a national-level healthy aquaculture demonstration area, "Yuhai No.1" is now well-positioned for rapid and standardized commercialization.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352046.html