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Growth and survival of the winged oyster Pteria colymbus in suspended culture: influence of environmental factors associated to upwelling periods

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Abstract

The present study examines the influence that environmental variables exerted on changes in condition index (CI), shell height (SH—dorsal-ventral axis) and soft tissue mass increments (STM) of the winged oyster Pteria colymbus in suspended culture during periods of upwelling (December to April) and non-upwelling (August to November) in the Cariaco Gulf, northeastern Venezuela. Environmental variables recorded between April 2012 and May 2013 included seston, water transparency, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and the upwelling index (UI). Individuals were cultivated in lantern nets with an overall density of 56 individuals/0.123 m2. From three randomly chosen baskets, five individuals were sampled each month and changes in CI, STM and SH were related to the environmental variables using Spearman correlation and PCA. Results show that during upwelling, both Chl a and UI presented a positive and significant relationship with the oyster condition and growth parameters. During non-upwelling (low UI), this relationship was inverse, demonstrating the important influence of upwelling and non-upwelling periods on the ecophysiology of the species. Furthermore, it was shown that the non-upwelling, characterized by high temperatures and low food availability, is a critical period for P. colymbus, judging by a decrease in growth and survival rate. Nonetheless, this species reached 50 mm in 5 months, a size considered as commercially viable, suggesting that the study area is favourable to the cultivation of the winged oyster despite a dramatic decrease in upwelling intensity in the last decade.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Estación Hidrobiológica de Turpialito del Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente and the Centro de Monitoreo Ambiental y Producción de Semillas de Moluscos Bivalvos (grant number FONACIT-UDO 2011000344). Luis Freites and César Lodeiros participated in the study during his linkage to UPSE and CENAIM-ESPOL, respectively, through “Proyecto Prometeo” in Ecuador.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente, Apartado Postal 245, Cumaná, 6101, Venezuela

    L. Freites, M. Rojas, A. Márquez, J. Revilla & C. Lodeiros

  2. Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, Santa Elena, Ecuador

    L. Freites

  3. GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    A. W. Dale

  4. Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Centro Nacional de Acuicultura e Investigaciones Marinas, 30.5, Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    A. Márquez, J. Revilla & C. Lodeiros

  5. Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas al Mar, Núcleo de Nueva Esparta, Universidad de Oriente, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela

    L. Troccoli

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  1. L. Freites
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  2. M. Rojas
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  3. A. W. Dale
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  6. L. Troccoli
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  7. C. Lodeiros
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Correspondence to L. Freites.

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Freites, L., Rojas, M., Dale, A.W. et al. Growth and survival of the winged oyster Pteria colymbus in suspended culture: influence of environmental factors associated to upwelling periods. Aquacult Int 25, 1653–1666 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-017-0141-2

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