Hard clams in high quality salt water (HQSW) and washed salt water (WSW) had much less digging ability than those in artificial seawater (ASW). ASW lacking Mg(superscript +2) reduced significantly the digging ability of hard clams (p<0.05). A decrease of digging index was found with increasing K(superscript +) concentrations in the ASW. Eighty-three ppm and 166ppm of Mg(superscript +2) are required for maintaining the digging ability of hard clams in ASW and in ASW plus 200ppm of K(superscript +), respectively. Mg(superscript +2)-dependent digging ability varies with ambient temperatures. At higher ambient temperature, Mg(superscript +2)-dependent digging ability is more sensitive to the absence of Mg(superscript +2). This sensitivity can be relieved by the addition of Mg(superscript +2).