Reproductive Cycle of the CockleCerastoderma edule(Linnaeus 1758) in the Ría De Vigo (Galicia, Northwest Spain)

The reproductive cycle of the cockle Cerastoderma edule was studied by histological techniques and observation of changes in the condition index during three consecutive years in the Ría de Vigo (Northwest Iberian Peninsula). The onset of gametogenesis took place at the end of the summer (September to October), progressed throughout the winter, and the mature stage was finally reached in spring. The first spawning occurred in April and May and,...