Influence of stocking density and culture management on growth and mortality of the mangrove native oyster Crassostrea sp. in southern Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzed the growth and survival of the mangrove native oyster Crassostrea sp. in the initial stages of culture (nursery and intermediate culture) submitted to different treatments of stocking density and cleaning management for 5 months, in Florianópolis/SC, southern Brazil. Treatments consisted of two cleaning managements (every 7 or 14 days) and two initial stocking densities (1,000 and 2,000 seeds per tray). After every thinning, densities were kept proportional per area, according to oyster growth. All treatments showed excellent results, but the best growth rate (9.9mm per month) was observed in the treatment with high stocking density and long cleaning interval, with a final height of 60mm and allometric shell growth. A low mortality rate (7.5%) suggests good conditions of the area and of the native oyster for the grow-out of hatchery-reared spats.

Keywords

• oyster culture
• mangrove oysters
• Crassostrea sp.
• management
• density