이 연구에서는 조직학적 방법을 이용하여 산란 기간 중, 지중해담치의 조직학적 변화를 관찰하였다. 조직학적 관찰 결과, 마산만 지중해담치(M. edulis galloprovincialis)는 4월부터 산란을 시작하여 9월까지 산란이 지속되는 것을 관찰할 수 있었으며, 동일 시기에 비만도도 감소하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 소화맹낭 위축도는 산란 스트레스를 받는 6월($3.24{pm}1.16$)과 수온이 높은 9월($3.33{pm}1.19$)에 높은 위축도 지수를 보였다. 또한 이 시기(9월)에는 높은 소화맹낭 조직붕괴 현상도 동반되는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 병리학적 증상 관찰 결과, 종양증 또한 관찰되었으나, 그 발병률은 5% 미만으로 낮게 나타났다. 마산만의 지중해담치에서는 기생성 병원체는 관찰되지 않았으나, 공생요각류가 관찰되었다. 이 연구에 쓰인 조직병리학적 분석기법은 향후 담치의 건강도 및 연안 환경변화가 주변 생물에게 미치는 영향을 평가하는데 있어 유용하게 활용될 것으로 예측되었다.
Sessile marine bivalves including mussels, oysters and clams are often used as a sentinel species in coastal environmental monitoring since changes in the environmental quality are often well preserved in their tissues and shells. In this study, we investigated overall health condition of the Mediterranean Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis on the south coast using histology. Reproductive condition as gonad index (GI), condition index (CI) as a ratio of the tissue weight to the shell weight, digestive gland atrophy (DGA), types of parasites, and pathologic conditions including erosion, necrosis, hemocyte infiltration, and neoplasia were examined from each histological preparation. GI decreased from March to July then increased from July to September and spawning mussel could be observed as early as in April and the activity continued until September. CI also followed the monthly changes in GI, indicating that decrease in CI was associated with the weight loss due to spawning. DGA increased from March to June, decreased in July and increased from July to September. High DGA values observed in June and September were coincided with spawning and high water temperature. Histology also showed high prevalence of erosion in the digestive gland in June (36.0%) and September (56.4%), suggesting that high water temperature and spawning acted as environmental stressors. No parasitic organism was identified during the survey, although some symbiotic copepods were observed. Histology was found to be useful and affordable technique in monitoring the overall health of mussel, providing useful pathologic information of the cells and tissues.
