Settlement of Chilean Flat Oysters (Ostrea chilensis) on Ribbed Mussel Shell Collectors for Commercial Grow-Out: Towards Sustainable Management

Ostrea chilensis (a flat oyster) is native to Chile and New Zealand. In Chile, this oyster has been cultured and harvested for at least 80 years. However, the culture of flat oysters has not developed like other aquaculture activities in Chile, mainly due to the inefficiency of the collectors (made...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marine science and engineering 2024-07, Vol.12 (7), p.1148
Main Authors: Oyarzún, Pablo A., Hidalgo-Cabrera, Almendra, Stam, Gerrit, Estrada, Juan Manuel, Ruiz-Tagle, Gonzalo, Navarro, Jorge M., Toro, Jorge E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquaculture
Collectors
Endangered & extinct species
Epibionts
Experiments
Farmers
flat oyster
Laboratories
Laboratory experimentation
Larvae
Marine molluscs
molluscs
Mollusks
Ostrea chilensis
oyster farming
Oysters
Shells
Spat
spat collection
sustainability
Sustainability management
Variance analysis
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Summary:Ostrea chilensis (a flat oyster) is native to Chile and New Zealand. In Chile, this oyster has been cultured and harvested for at least 80 years. However, the culture of flat oysters has not developed like other aquaculture activities in Chile, mainly due to the inefficiency of the collectors (made of ribbed mussel shells) and the lack of spats produced. The objective of this study was to determine the capacity of spat collectors for the settlement of O. chilensis. For this purpose, field and laboratory experiments were carried out. Our results indicated that oyster larvae do not have a preference for either side of the shell (periostracum or nacreous) to settle on. However, after one year of growth in the field, juveniles were more abundant on the nacreous side of the shell (spat collector). Also, the oysters that settled on the nacreous side of the valve were larger. This was due to the fact that the periostracum had a greater number of epibionts, and they competed for space and resources with the settled oyster spats, causing a decrease in the abundance of oyster spats on that surface. Our findings raise the possibility that collectors could improve efficiency in the production of spats. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for the Chilean oyster-farming industry.
ISSN:2077-1312
2077-1312
DOI:10.3390/jmse12071148