Evidence of clandestine harvest and failure of conservation policies for Argopecten purpuratus in the Rinconada Marine Reserve (Chile)

1. The study of Argopecten purpuratus reproduction, post‐larval settlement, stock size, and population size structure and shell growth was undertaken in the 2000s in the Rinconada marine reserve (Chile) to evaluate the effectiveness of scallop recruitment and self‐sustainability.
2. The results highlight strong seasonal and inter‐annual variations of environmental conditions and scallop gonadosomatic index, spat collection, benthic distribution, total abundance and population size structure.
3. The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L_∞ = 120.12 mm and K = 0.9681; commercial size would be reached in about 17.2 months in the bay. Substrate availability, meteorological conditions, hydrodynamics and illegal harvesting explain spatial and temporal variations in scallop distribution and abundance.
4. Recruitment strength depends on one main cohort from year to year. While recruitment made up 81% and 94% of total abundances in May 2002 and May 2003, respectively, there were no overall density‐dependent relationships between stock size and recruitment. Spawning asynchrony in the bay supports the hypothesis that multiple gamete releases form part of a reproductive strategy in response to environmental variability.
5. The massive disappearance of large‐sized scallops during the study periods was direct evidence of overfishing owing to clandestine harvesting within the marine reserve. The failure of current legislation, strategies and policies for scallop conservation requires new regulations to restore scallop stock size, maintain its reproductive performance and limit illegal harvesting in the Rinconada.
6. A scenario allowing harvesting regulated by stock‐dependent fishing quotas would more efficiently ensure stock recovery and self‐sustainability. The modalities of this new policy are discussed.

     

Crosses between two subspecies of bay scallop Argopecten irradians and heterosis for yield traits at harvest

In order to improve the yield of bay scallop Argopecten irradians by exploiting geographic subspecies heterosis, crosses between and within two subspecies, the northern A. i. irradians (Lamarck) and the southern A. i. concentricus (Say), were created and the offspring were cultured under the same environmental conditions. The two parental populations were collected from Bohai Bay in northern China and Beibu Bay in southern China, which were distinct in particular shell colours. The results indicated that the shell colour of bay scallop was inheritable and could be used as a morphological mark to distinguish hybrid and purebred individuals. At harvest, hybrid offspring always produced a significantly higher yield than purebred offspring. Positive heterosis was achieved for shell length, shell height, shell width, total weight and adductor weight, which was 5.02, 5.22, 3.88, 7.53 and 9.47 respectively. Hybrid gain was 10.86% for shell length, 10.48% for shell height, 9.77% for shell width, 34.90% for total weight and 41.69% for adductor weight, respectively, and all were significantly >5%. The present study reveals that it is effective for improving yield by hybridization between different geographic subspecies in the bay scallop.     

When aquaculture restores and replaces an overfished stock:Is the conservation of the Species assured? The case of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus in Northern Chile

The fishery for Argopecten purpuratus in northern Chile, whichcollapsed because of overfishing, has been replaced by aquaculture of thespecies. In 1998, cultures produced 16,474 t, while the highest landings recorded inthe entire history of the fishery was in 1984 (one year after the 1983 ElNiño) with 5275 t. The figures for stock size of the species in the pastand at present, show that the wild stock of scallops today represents notmore than 10–15% of the total stock of the species within Chile, with mostof the individuals being kept in sea farms. Thus it is concluded that thescallop already represents a domestic species and, considering theoccurrence and development of selection practices in sea farms,biodiversity within the species appears to be at risk. With the developmentof culture practices over its entire range, there is little use in trying torecover a wild fishery for this scallop. It is urgent, however, that selectednatural beds be protected in order to preserve genetic diversity.     

Effect of the density on the growth and survival of the Caribbean scallops Argopecten nucleus and Nodipecten nodosus in suspended culture

Juveniles of the Caribbean scallops Argopecten nucleus and Nodipecten nodosus were suspended in pearl nets at densities of 25%, 30% and 50% coverage of the bottom of the net (BC) during days. Additionally, adults of A. nucleus (>35 mm) were placed in lantern nets at densities of 40%, 50% and 65% BC during days. Stocking density affected the growth of animals, with higher growth rates obtained at the lower densities. Although the survival of the two scallops was not influenced at the densities studied, the 15-day net changes, and culture in water of <28 °C produced better survival of A. nucleus and N. nodosus respectively. Predators of the families Cymatiidae, Grapsidae, Portunidae, Majidae and Xanthidae were found in the culture nets of juvenile A. nucleus , but during the adult phase they were absent. Predators exhibited a dense-independent behaviour in relation to scallops. There was not any association between predator frequency and survival of A. nucleus .     

饲料中脂肪水平对海湾扇贝性腺发育、脂肪酸组成和组织结构的影响

为了探讨配合饲料及其脂肪含量对海湾扇贝性腺发育、脂肪酸组成和组织结构的影响,在基础饲料中通过梯度添加鱼油（质量分数为0%、3%、6%和9%）配置4种脂肪质量分数为7%、10%、14%和17%的等氮饲料（质量分数为47%粗蛋白）,分别记为F7、F10、F14和F17,并以小新月菱形藻（Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima）作为对照组,试验在室内1 000 L的水槽中进行,每种饲料随机投喂3组扇贝[初始体质量为（40.79±1.70） g],每个重复30只,试验周期30 d。结果显示：饲料中脂肪含量未显著影响扇贝死亡率（P>0.05）,对照组死亡率显著低于各个饲料处理组（P<0.05）。性腺指数（gonadosomatic index,GSI）随着饲料脂肪含量增加呈先上升后下降的趋势,在F14组GSI达到最高,与对照组差异不显著（P>0.05）,显著高于初始时期（P<0.05）。性腺中雌性部分含水量F10组最高,显著高于F17组（P<0.05）;雄性部分各处理组间差异不显著（P>0.05）。性腺中雌性部分粗脂肪含量显著高于雄性部分（P<0.05）。性腺中脂肪酸的含量PUFA>MUFA>SFA,饲料中脂肪含量显著影响性腺中SFA、MUFA、n-3PUFA、DHA和EPA的含量（P<0.05）,当饲料中脂肪含量为14%或17%时达到最高值。性腺组织切片可见,各个处理组卵母细胞和精原细胞充满整个滤泡腔,滤泡密集,滤泡之间无空隙。由此可得出,配合饲料替代部分单胞藻饲喂海湾扇贝,可使其性腺发育至育苗要求,饲料中脂肪质量分数为14%时可以代替部分单胞藻饲喂海湾扇贝促进性腺发育。     

大黄鱼仔、稚、幼鱼发育阶段的脂肪酸组成及其变化

为了探讨真空冷冻干燥过程参数对冻干时间和能耗的影响，以墨西哥湾扇贝为研究对象，设计二次正交回归组合试验方案，采用SAS统计软件对试验数据进行回归分析，建立了真空冷冻干燥时间和能耗的二次多元回归模型，并对二次多元回归模型进行了F检验；利用降维法定性地分析了物料厚度、干燥室压强和加热板温度3个主要过程参数对真空冷冻干燥时间和能耗的影响。结果表明，物料厚度、干燥室压强和加热板温度对冻干时间和能耗影响显著，并呈二次函数规律变化，在本试验条件下影响的主次因素依次为：物料厚度、干燥室压强、加热板温度。对单位厚度冻干时间进行岭嵴分析，给出了在本试验因素取值范围内的冻干过程优化参数：物料厚度为9mm；干燥室压强为50Pa；加热板温度为39℃，优化的物料单位厚度冻干时间为0．41h。     

酸碱度和干露对墨西哥湾扇贝幼虫和稚贝的影响

为探讨酸碱度和干露对墨西哥湾扇贝不同发育阶段的影响,2000年4月和2001年4月在浙江省玉环县抛西水产育苗场用实验生态的方法研究了酸碱度和干露对墨西哥湾扇贝浮游幼虫和稚贝生长和存活的影响。结果表明:pH值7～8存活率最高,生长最好。稚贝的耐干露能力低下。     

Comparison of early life history stages of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians: Effects of microalgal diets on growth and biochemical composition

The culture of bay scallops, Argopecten irradians, is limited by a reliable and affordable supply of spat and the ability to ensure that animals attain market size within a single growing season. The main goals of our study were thus: (1) to develop growth-optimizing algal diets for implementation in hatcheries, and (2) to identify and compare bay scallop postlarval and juvenile dietary requirements, especially of lipids and fatty acids, which if met may enhance production. Nutritional needs of postlarval bay scallops (present study) are compared with those of sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus, offered the same diets in a previous companion study. To this end, postlarval (initial shell height, SH = 240 μm) and juvenile (initial SH = 10 mm) bay scallops were offered 6–7 microalgal diet combinations at 20 °C, for 3 weeks. A similar growth ranking among diets was observed between the two developmental stages. A combination diet of Pavlova sp. (CCMP 459) and Chaetoceros muelleri was far superior to any other diet tested, yielding growth rates of 58 and 357 μm day^− 1 which were 65% and 25% higher than the next highest performing diet of Tetraselmis striata/C. muelleri in postlarvae and juveniles, respectively. The T. striata/C. muelleri diet, which is limited in the n-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), yielded very poor growth of sea scallop postlarvae in a prior study, indicating that bay scallops may have less stringent requirements for DHA than sea scallops. The Pav 459/C. muelleri diet, which also supported the highest growth of sea scallop postlarvae, is characterized by elevated levels of the n-6 fatty acids, arachidonic (AA) in C. muelleri and 4,7,10,13,16-docosapentaenoic (DPA) in Pav 459. The two diets deficient in AA and n-6 DPA, Pavlova lutheri/Thalassiosira weissflogii and P. lutheri/Fragilaria familica, yielded the lowest growth rates in both bay scallop postlarvae and juveniles. Tissue enrichment of these two fatty acids relative to the diet, as well as overall enrichment in ∑n-6 fatty acids was observed across developmental stages and dietary treatments. A similar pattern has previously been observed in sea scallop postlarvae, suggesting a dietary requirement for n-6 fatty acids in pectinids that has often been overlooked in the past.     

镉对海湾扇贝的急性毒性研究

利用水生生物毒性试验方法,分5个浓度进行镉对日照海域海湾扇贝的急性毒性实验,以期对日照海域海湾扇贝养殖提供理论依据。利用概率单位和浓度对数作线性回归,得出镉对海湾扇贝(Argopectenirradiams)在24、48、96h的半致死量LC50,其值分别为5.85、4.52和3.45mg/L。并计算出镉对海湾扇贝的安全质量浓度为0.0345mg/L。实验证明,Cd对海湾扇贝是剧毒性的毒物,海湾扇贝发育越往后期,它对Cd的耐受性就越大。     

Morphological, structural, and functional characterization of the haemocytes of the scallop, Argopecten irradians

Argopecten irradians is one of the most important commercial species of Pectinidae family in China. The internal defense system of mollusks consists of circulating haemocytes. In order to characterize the haemocytes of the scallop A. irradians, light and electron microscopical studies were carried out. Four types of haemocytes were recognized: type I small hyalinocytes (2.38 ± 0.08 μm, 30-35%), type II large hyalinocytes (4.41 ± 0.33 μm, 15-20%), type III small granulocytes (4.15 ± 0.26 μm, 20-25%), and type IV large granulocytes (8.26 ± 0.52 μm, 25-30%). Granulocyte types showed smaller N/C ratios than hyalinocytes. The mean haemocyte concentration was about (3.75 ± 0.65) × 10⁷ cells ml^− 1 of haemolymph. Among haemocytes, 44.7% are granular and 55.3% are agranular. These gave a relatively systematic classification scheme for haemocytes of A. irradians. Three types of granules were identified: type I, with high electron-density; type II, with low electron-density; and type III, with a middle level of electron-density, based on TEM studies. Different haemocyte types were not separated with DDGC of Percoll in this study. Both granulocytes and hyalinocytes showed a phagocytic response to the two strains of bacteria, Escherichia coli and RLOs. The phagocytic ability of granulocyte was significantly higher (41-48%) than that of hyalinocyte (9.2-11.2%).