Effect of temperature on survival,growth and development of Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae

Mussel aquaculture is widely prevalent worldwide, but generally relies on natural seed collection, which does not always meet the needs of the producers. Thus, development of mussel hatcheries is of economic interest in some parts of the world, such as Europe; it provides opportunities not only on annual reliability of seed but also on genetic improvements. To broaden knowledge on mussel larval physiology, we carried out temperature treatments (17, 20 and 24 °C) on Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae under laboratory conditions. The trials ended when 30% of the larval population was in the post‐larval stage. The temperature coefficient Q₁₀ indicated a strong relationship between temperature and increase in growth from 17 to 20 °C, but not between 20 and 24 °C. Exposure of M. galloprovincialis larvae to 17 °C resulted in poor growth, low survival and a delayed development and was considered to be inadequate for M. galloprovincialis larval culture. Rearing the larvae at 20 or 24 °C produced better growth, higher survival rates and faster metamorphosis as compared with 17 °C. The temperature region within 20 and 24 °C was suggested as adequate for the mussel M. galloprovincialis larval culture, and implications of these results on the development of commercial hatcheries were discussed.