The surf clam Donax serra (Röding 1798) dominates macrobenthic communities of
extended and exposed sandy beaches of those southern African biogeographical regions
where phytoplankton production is high: the cold Benguela upwelling System and
areas of the warm Agulhas current System, which experience occasional upwelling and
estuarine input. It feeds on phytoplankton and detritus, serves as food item for marine
and terrestrial predators and is exploited by recreational anglers. The overall aim of this
study was to investigate the population dynamics and ecology of Namibian D. serra in
order to contribute essential knowledge for the understanding of its role in the Benguela
upwelling ecosystem as well as for its potential use in aquaculture and exploitation
activities. In particular two populations of the central Namibian coast were studied
during November 1997 and December 1999.
Histological examinations of D. serra gonads and the condition index indicated a seasonal
reproductive cycle, coupled to the annual mean sea surface temperature cycle.
Spawning started in AugusVSeptember and lasted until February. Recruits, however,
were present for only three months in the intertidal zone. The period when these juveniles
are abundant is decoupled from the spawning period and therefore cannot be
predicted. Starvation, hydrodynamic processes, chemical Parameters and different release
times during the spawning period are likely to cause spatial and temporal differences
in Settlement time and recruitment strength.
Individual growth is best described by a Von Bertalanffy growth function with an asymptotic
length (LJ of 82 mm and a growth constant (K) of 0.274 y "' in both intertidal
populations. Growth performance of D. serra agrees with values of cold-temperate and
upwelling donacids while temperate Donax-species have intermittent and tropical/subtropical
congeners show lowest values. The intertidal biomass of the studied
populations ranged between 141 g ash free dry mass (AFDM) rn'2 and 546 g AFDM m'*,
which is much higher that in D. serra populations at warm temperate beaches and distinctly
surmounts the range for several non-upwelling Donax-species. In line, annual
production exceeds values calculated from populations of habitats without permanent
upwelling as well as those of non-upwelling donacids. The present values ranged between
167 g AFDM m" y"" and 637 g AFDM m'2 Y'", resulting in productivity values between
1.167 y.' and 1.589 y". Individual production was maximal at 56.5 rnm shell
length (0.83 g AFDM ind:" Y.').
To investigate whether toxic hydrogen sulphide affects survivorship of juvenile D. serra
and thus is a potential community structuring factor, the reaction of these clarns to low
oxygen concentrations and sulphide presence was examined. In vitro exposure experiments
were conducted using an innovative gas-tight continuous flow System. Hydrogen
sulphide was adjusted to a concentration (0.1 mmol I'") as regularly found during
native "sulphide eruptions", which occur sporadically in the highly productive inshore
regions of the central Namibian Benguela. During the first 2 h of hypoxic and hy-