Logo image
Back
Effects of mesh covers on the growth and survival of silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima, Jameson) spat
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Effects of mesh covers on the growth and survival of silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima, Jameson) spat

J J Taylor, Paul C Southgate and R A Rose
Aquaculture, Vol.162(3-4), pp.241-246
1998
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(98)00216-6
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(98)00216-6View
Published Version

Abstract

pearl oyster pinctada maxima spat nursery mesh growth survival
Spat of the silver-lip (or gold-lip) pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, were re-settled onto PVC slats at a mean density of 340 per 100 cm2. Spat had a mean (± s.e) dorso-ventral shell height and antero-posterior shell length of 1.2±0.3-mm and 1.8±0.5-mm, respectively. The PVC slats were either left exposed (control) or covered with a mesh sleeve of varying aperture sizes (0.75, 1.5 or 3.0-mm) before being transferred to an ocean-based suspended nursery culture system. After two weeks of nursery culture, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) among the number of spat retained on the covered slats; however, all covered slats had significantly greater (P < 0.001) spat retention than the control which had fewer than 1 spat per 100 cm2. Some of the spat in the control treatment may have been eaten by box fish (Ostraciidae) and file fish (Monacanthidae) which were observed pecking at the exposed PVC slats. Shell height and shell length increased significantly (P < 0.05) with each increase in mesh size. The remaining spat on the control slats were smaller than the mean size of the spat at the start of the trial although this difference was not significant (P > 0.05). This probably resulted from fish and other predators preferentially attacking the larger individuals. There was no advantage in using sleeves with a mesh size small enough to retain dislodged spat. The majority of dislodged spat in the 0.75-mm and 1.5-mm mesh sleeves perished when they fell into the corners of the sleeve whereas most dislodged individuals were small enough to fall through the 3.0-mm mesh sleeve. A 3.0-mm mesh is appropriate to house spat of the size used in this study. Smaller mesh sizes, while not affecting survival, fouled more rapidly and resulted in reduced spat growth.

Details

Metrics

2 File views/ downloads
664 Record Views
9 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Web Of Science research areas
Fisheries
Marine & Freshwater Biology

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#14 Life Below Water

Source: InCites

Logo image