Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Oysters not clamming up about rad new radula scrub

7^th International Conference on Aquaculture & Fisheries

October 19-21, 2017 | Rome, Italy

Candace Loy, Craig Radford, Jim Dollimore and Andrew Jeffs

Leigh Marine Institute, New Zealand
Biomarine Limited, New Zealand

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Aquac Res Development

Abstract:

Bio-fouling of baskets used to 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 bio-fouling 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 oysters only. 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 bio-fouling 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.