EFFECT OF THE DENSITY ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF THE SCALLOP NODIPECTEN NODOSUS (BIVALVIA:PECTINIDAE) IN A SUSPENDED CULTURE

Abstract

As a contribution to determine the biological and technological feasibility of the culture of N. nodosus in the Colombian Caribbean, the effect of two cover densities (30 and 50 %) upon growth and survival was evaluated between April and November 2007. In cages suspended in the sea at 5 m depth juveniles between 60 and 65 mm length were placed. Shell lengths and survival were measured each 15 days. In the same manner, temperature, salinity, seston and particulate organic matter were measured in order to determine relationships with these factors; N. nodosus reached a length of 84.7 and 87.9 mm at densities of 30 and 50 %, respectively. Treatments affected growth but did not affect significantly survival. A direct relation between growth and organic matter and between growth and total seston were detected. Survival maintained a similar trend until July at both densities, presenting in turn a direct relation to particulate organic matter. Results demonstrate that N. nodosus presents a good development at high densities, which allow to have a greater utilization of the culture art, hence increasing its productivity