Meretrix taiwanica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Venerida
Family: Veneridae
Genus: Meretrix
Species:
M. taiwanica
Binomial name
Meretrix taiwanica
Hsiao & Chuang, 2023

Meretrix taiwanica is a clam indigenous to Taiwan and China, it was misidentified as Meretrix lusoria until 2023.

Description

The shell color is highly variable from yellow-white to dark red-brown.[1]

Distribution

Distribution of morphologically similar Meretrix species

Meretrix taiwanica is found in Taiwan and along the coast of southern China.[2]

Habitat

Commonly found in sandy estuaries associated with mangroves.[2]

Use

Like similar Meretrix species, M. taiwanica is farmed commercially for food. 49,501 tons of "M. lusoria", now identified as M. taiwanica, was produced in the year of 2019 in Taiwan.[3]

History

Meretrix taiwanica was misidentified as Meretrix lusoria until 2023.[3][4] Scientists conducting research on what they believed to be M. lusoria in the Tamsui River sent samples for genetic analysis and discovered that they were a genetically distinct species. M. lusoria was introduced into Taiwan for commercial cultivation during the Japanese colonial period and was believed to have outcompeted native clams. However, the new data suggests that M. lusoria were outcompeted by native M. taiwanica and died out soon after introduction.[1]

Meretrix taiwanica has also been misidentified as M. petechialis in China. In 2017, a Chinese study noticed that what was considered M. petechialis seems to be geographically divided into two lineages. The southern lineages is now known to be synonymous to M. taiwanica. Another misidentification was as M. meretrix in Taiwan, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 PFLUGHOEFT, ASPEN. "New species was hiding in plain sight and being raised on Taiwanese farms, experts say". miamiherald.com. Miami Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 I-ning, Tseng; Yen-hsiang, Chao. "Researchers discover native Taiwanese clam species". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Hsiao, Sheng-Tai; Chuang, Shih-Chang (2023). "Meretrix taiwanica (Bivalvia: Veneridae), a previously misidentified new species in Taiwan". Molluscan Research. Taylor & Francis Group. 43: 12–21. doi:10.1080/13235818.2023.2189428.
  4. ↑ "Researchers discover native Taiwanese clam species". Focus Taiwan. 2023-04-11.
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