**1. Introduction**

268 Aquaculture

Watanabe, T., Kitajima, C., Fujita, S. (1983). Nutritional value of live organisms used in

115-143, ISSN: 0044-8486

Japan for mass propagation of fish: a review. *Aquaculture* 34, (October 1982), pp.

The culture of freshwater pearl mussel is divided into three steps, i.e. glochidia, juveniles and adults. Juvenile has been successfully cultured in the laboratory by attaching glochidia to fish until they could transform into the early juvenile stage (Fukuhara et al., 1990; Panha, 1992; Buddensiek, 1995; Uthaiwan et al., 2003; Hanlon & Neves, 2006). Furthermore, sterilized artificial media could be utilized for the culture of glochidia (to bypass the parasitic stage); the progress of this technique can be followed in a succession of reports by Isom & Hudson (1982, 1984a,b), Keller & Zam (1990), Uthaiwan et al. (2001, 2002), Kovitvadhi et al. (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Areekijeree et al. (2006), Lima et al. (2006), Supannapong et al. (2008), Srakaew et al. (2010) and Chumnanpuen et al. (2011). Moreover, some species of freshwater mussel glochidia cultured in artificial media could develop to adulthood as well as inducing gonadal development to sexual maturity and the marsupia could develop, namely *Hyriopsis* (*Limnoscapha*) *myersiana* (Kovitvadhi et al., 2006, 2008), *Chamberlainia hainesiana* (Kovitvadhi et al., submitted) and *Hyriopsis* (*Hyriopsis*) *bialatus* (Kovitvadhi & Kovitvadhi., in preparation).

Therefore, in this chapter author will explain each step from preparation and culture of glochidia in artificial media as well as all techniques of rearing early juvenile through the adult. In addition, water qualities and food suitable for rearing from early juvenile until adult will be described including morphological development under light microscope and scanning electron microscope.
