Abstract: A total of 7 half-sib families and 21 full-sib families (A1、A2、A3……G1、G2、G3) of Sunray surf clam Mactra chinensis Philipi were established by using the method of unbalanced nest design in 2007, 9. Phenotypic traits of different families, such as egg-diameter, fertilization rates, hatching rates, and larval and juvenile growth, survival and metamorphosis were analyzed. The results showed that egg-diameter, fertilization rates, hatching rates, and D larval size were non-significant difference among families (P＞0.05). Considering growth, growth was varied at different development stages for each family and was influenced on maternal effect, paternal effect and male within female effect. G1 had the largest shell length with the growth rate 10.04±1.67 μm•d-1; whereas A2 had the smallest shell length with 6.07±1.32 μm•d-1during pelagic period of larvae. B3 grew fastest in filial generation of family with 29.93±3.67 μm•d-1; whereas D1 grew slowest in filial generation of family with 16.72±2.73 μm•d-1 during plantigrade period. G3 had the largest shell length with the growth rate83.14±5.85μm•d-1; whereas A2, A3 of juvenile indoor period had the smallest shell length with growth rate 57.78±5.44μm•d-1, 55.86±4.48μm•d-1 respectively. Considering survival, A2, C1, E3, F2, G1 and G2 had higher survival rate (＞85%) in filial generation of family, whereas B2、D1 had lower survival rate(＜35%) in filial generation of family during pelagic period of larvae. G1 had the highest survival rate (70.40%) in filial generation of family, whereas A1(23.40%), C2 (20.90%), F1(19.30%) had lower survival rate in filial generation of family during juvenile indoor period. Considering metamorphosis, growth rate was varied for each family, which the growth rate of G1and G3 were 7.94±1.53 μm•d-1, 7.96±1.52 μm•d-1 respectively, but the growth of D1 was only 5.23±0.75μm•d-1. B1, E1 and G2 had higher metamorphosis (＞80%) in filial generation of family, whereas E2(41.24%)、F1(43.25%) had lowest metamorphosis in filial generation of family. However, as the metamorphic time prolonged, the metamorphic size decreased. G1、G2、G3 had the largest metamorphic size (240μm) with the shortest metamorphic time (13d), whereas D1 had the lowest metamorphic size (226.65±5.65μm) with the longest metamorphic time (17d). By summarizing the early phenotypic traits of families, G3, F2 and G1 respectively inherited the excellent traits such as fast growth, strong stress resistance, and high yield, and were further used as the breeding material for rearing of new sunray surf clam strains.