THE EFFECT OF FOOD SUPPLY ON METAMORPHOSIS AND POST-LARVAL DEVELOPMENT IN HATCHERY-REARED PECTEN MAXIMUS
L. Nicolas, R. Robert-2001
Aquaculture, 192 (2-4): 347-359
Abstract :
Variations in growth and survival of hatchery-reared post-metamorphic juveniles of Pecten maximus prompted experiments on settlement and post-larval development. The effects of food supply on P. maximus metamorphosis and post-larvae were studied over 4 and 8 week periods. In all experiments, and regardless of the environmental conditions, P. maximus metamorphosed over a 2--3 week period with values of 30% to 50%. After this period, spat numbers increased slightly. Spat mortality was generally low, with values reaching only 10% to 30% after a month of rearing. Mortality increased throughout the second month, however, and reached 50% at the end of some trials. Poor growth was noted when post-larvae were starved for 2 months (10 µm day-1), whereas food levels ranging from 7 to 66 cells µl-1 had a weak influence on post-larval development during the first month (69 to 75 µm day-1) suggesting food requirements of 6000 cells
post-larvae-1.
(Laboratoire de Physiologie des Invertébrés Marins, Ifremer, Centre de Brest, B.P. 70, 29280 Plouzané, France, tel : +33-2-98.22.47.64, fax : +33-2-98.22.46.53, e-mail of R. Robert : rrobert@ifremer.fr)
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