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

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/xinhua-silk-road-new-aquaculture-hard-clam-strain-developed-in-rizhao-addressing-bottlenecks-in-shellfish-seedling-production
- Published: 2026-09-04T10:21:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

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](https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352046.html)

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