淡水蚌类指瓣鳃纲（双壳纲）蚌科[ Unionidae（Bivalvia）］的贝类,全世界现有168个属,1000多种,其中珠蚌属（Margaritifera）是亚洲、欧洲和美洲大陆都有分布的淡水珍珠贝.

Unionidae, one major freshwater family of a Bivalvia with many species, is distributed very extensively. Some of them have high economic value. Due to the deterioration of world environment, its resource is declining continually. The development of eygote of freshwater mussel （Unionidae） undergoes in the gill. When it grows to the stage of glochidia, it must live a parasitic life on fish. Because of this breeding feature, the artificial insemination technology has had no breaking-through in long time. With the rapid development of fresh water pearl culture, it is impending for us to develop new breeding technology, select sceds with good productive traits, protect the resources quality and develop new cultivate technology. This paper synthesized the research achievement for the feature of mussel breeding, the gamete growth and formation, reproduction season and embryonic development, the glochidium formation, structure and abnormal breed, and so on. Finally the future research prospects were described. This review could serve as the reference material for future studying on the freshwater mussel reproduction biology and the artificial propagation technology.

浙江省自然科学基金