Observations on the population characteristics of the Corbiculid clam Villorita cyprinoides (Gray) in the Chitrapuzha portion of the Vembanad lake.

Fishery products, being excellent animal protein supplements, can be easily availed by all sections of people and have served to meet the nutritional requirements of population since time immemorial. However, the geometric expansion o f the global population and the slow er growth rate of the world's food production leaves a large gap between the nutritional demands and supply, especially in the developing and under-developed countries. Pressed by growing needs, man is forever venturing forth to explore and exploit all available natural resources, through techniques old and new, and often creates a situation wherein irrational exploitation tends to deplete their availability to an alarming level. Aquatic resources are no exception to this case. Several stocks of finfish and shellfish in the presently exploited areas have reached the maximum sustainable levels and there is no scope to step up the production further. To compensate this inadequacy, man has now taken up the task of propagating aquaculture with added impetus