Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Oysters not clamming up about rad new radula scrub

8^th International Conference on Fisheries & Aquaculture

October 02-04, 2017 Toronto, Canada

Candace Loy, Craig Radford, Jim Dollimore and Andrew Jeffs

The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Biomarine Limited, New Zealand

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Aquac Res Development

Abstract:

Biofouling of baskets used for aquaculture oysters reduces access to food and flushing of wastes. Furthermore, the organisms growing on the baskets compete with the oysters for food. This study investigated the effect of co-culturing the oysters with a common grazing gastropod, catseye or Lunella smaragdus (Gmelin, 1791), on biofouling of oyster aquaculture baskets. Lunella were graded and matched to oyster baskets of three different mesh sizes (6, 12, 18 mm). Baskets of each mesh size were deployed with Lunella at three initial grow-out densities: 200, 350, 500 g per basket, in triplicate. Control bags had only oysters. Snails were measured and weighed, and oyster baskets examined and photographed every five weeks. Preliminary results indicate the presence of Lunella in oyster bags reduces biofouling when compared with control bags. Oyster bags with and without snails are visually identifiable. Repeated mixed model analyses on the effect of asking grazing gastropods on oyster survival and condition will be presented.