INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF DIET AND TEMPERATURE ON REPRODUCTIVE CONDITIONING OF ARGOPECTEN PURPURATUS BROODSTOCK

Aquaculture, 183 (1-2): 149-159
G. Martínez, C. Aguilera, L. Mettifogo-2000

Abstract:

Adult specimens of Argopecten purpuratus, obtained from Culture Centers of Tongoy Bay (Region IV, North of Chile), were conditioned at two temperatures, 16 C and 20 C, and three different diets: a mixture of pure microalgae, microalgae mixed with lipids and microalgae mixed with carbohydrates. Daily food supply was 6% of dry biomass. Three replicate tanks were assayed for each treatment. The progress of gonadal recovery was followed by periodic determination of gonadic index and histological analysis during three months. Gonadal recovery was slower for the animals conditioned at 20 C than for those at 16 C. Recovery was poorest for the animals fed pure microalgae at 20 C. The highest percentages of mature animals, at the end of the experiment, were obtained for the animals conditioned at 16 C and the maximal value was obtained for those fed microalgae-lipids. This diet also rendered the best result for scallops maintained at 20 C. All scallops conditioned at 16 C responded to spawning induction; the poorest response was for individuals conditioned at 20 C and fed pure microalgae. The percentage fertilization of gametes from the different treatment broodstocks did not differ but the percentage of larvae D survival was much higher for those from scallops conditioned at 16 C and fed pure microalgae or microalgae-lipids. These results indicate that temperature affects gametogenesis and that enriched lipid diets may improve the conditioning of bivalve broodstock.

(Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile)

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