With over 50,000 species, the Mollusca are one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom. Most live in the seas, like squid and chitons, but the phylum also includes the terrestial snails and slugs. Bivalves, a relatively small class of molluscs with two shell valves, contains the commercially important oysters, mussels, scallops and clams.

This text provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the biology, ecology and culture of the bivalve molluscs. Although written primarily for undergraduate students, its focus on the marine bivalves most important to fisheries and aquaculture makes it equally valuable to professionals managing commercial bivalves or researchers exploring their genetics, pathogens, physiology or ecology.

Although bivalves contribute a small percentage of the total global fisheries landings each year, their high unit price makes them important commercially. In 1999, over $9.3 billion was realized from the production of bivalves in fisheries and aquaculture.

Chapters on genetics, filter feeding and reproduction will be of particular use to aquaculturists, as will the one on fishery assessment and management methods for those harvesting bivalves. The text concludes with chapters on diseases that affect bivalves and public health issues such as bacterial infections, viruses, biotoxins and pollutants.

Oyster fisheries

Out of 200 oyster species there are only about six that are fished from wild stocks in commercial quantities... Oyster landings from aquaculture presently account for 96% of all oyster production. ... While overfishing, disease, pollution and severe weather conditions have steadily reduced oyster stocks in many regions, this fishery still remains a wild fishery, although the situation will probably change with the development of hatchery-produced, disease-resistant strains for relaying.