Short-term acute toxicity of mercury, cadmium and copper to arkshell, Anadara broughtonii, and to oyster, Crassostrea gigas, was determinedby static bioassays from 20 May to 27 June in 1977. During the observations of the opening rate of the shell mercury was the most sensitive toxicant of the three toxic substances to the test animals and caused them to close their shellvalves together after being exposed to a mercury solution for an hour during the test. Opening rate to cadmium and copper increased gradually at the higher concentration. the 96hr-LC50 values for the test animals are 4.84mg/l for mercury and 1.86mg/l for cadmium, while the 72hr-LC50 value for copper is 0.31mg/l. the death rate of oysters for cadmium showed lower than that of the mercury and copper test solutions. The 96hr-LC50 values of mercury, copper and cadmium were 1.1mg/l, 2.54mg/l and 19.5mg/l, respectively. For oysters mercury was the most toxic substance, and cadmium was the least toxic one. the medium lethal time (LT 50) value decreased gradually at higher concentration of heavy metals. The LT 50 of 2mg/l was found within 96 hours ofr copper, 104 hours for mercury and 121 hours for cadmium. The lethal threshold concentrations for 7 days were found to be about 1mg/l for mercury and copper, and 2mg/l for cadmium.