ABSTRACT
During the progress of sexual maturation a highly variable competition for energy develops between the somatic processes and the reproductive processes of the mollusc. When food supplies fail to meet all demands the animal must call on reserves and make adjustments to the distribution of energy between the different processes. The situation may become critical when growth rate is increasing at the same time as the gonads are developing. This chapter focuses on studies of somatic growth to give an understanding of cultured or wild mollusc stocks. Emphasis will be placed on new methods which show processes at the tissue or cellular level and open up the way for the selection of broodstock or biotechnological methods. There are two types of technique for the study of growth: 'retrospective and prospective methods'. The reserves are stored either in tissues which are specific to this function or in tissues which have a different physiological function.
