Reproduction and recruitment of the surf clam Donax serra on two Namibian beaches were studied over a period of two years. Histological examination of the gonads indi-cated a discontinous annual reproductive cycle, related to monthly mean sea surface temperatures. The spawning season lasted from August/September until February but juveniles (2-6 mm anterior-posterior shell length) were only present for three months in the intertidal zone. The condition index indicates that the species spawns during autumn and summer, but histological validation is needed. The period when juveniles are abun-dant is decoupled from the spawning period and therefore cannot be predicted clearly, even if the spawning time is known. Starvation, hydrodynamic processes, chemical parameters and different release times during the spawning period are thought to cause the differences in settlement time and in recruitment strength between locations.