Respiration rates of live clams (mercenaria mercenaria; hard clams) in modified atmospheres at various temperatures

Respiration rates of live clams were measured as a function of O2 and CO2 at 5, 15 and 25°C using the closed system method. The respiration rates were found to increase with increasing CO² and decreasing 02-this respiratory behavior was opposite to that of fresh produce. The respiration rates followed the Arrhenius relationship, with activation energies ranging from 35.6 to 41.0 kj/mole, which were little affected by O² and CO² and were lower than those of some fruits. The respiratory quotients were between 1.4 to 1.9. Some practical implications of the findings on modified atmosphere storage and packaging of live clams as well as further research needs are discussed.