Effect of water temperature and chlorophyll abundance on shell growth of the Japanese pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, in suspended culture at different depths and sites |
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| Authors: | Y Tomaru,Y Kumatabara,Z Kawabata,& S Nakano |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Environmental Conservation Sciences, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790–8566, Ehime, Japan;Department of Environmental Conservation, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790–8566, Ehime, Japan;Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520–2113, Shiga, Japan;Center for Coastal Environmental Science Research, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790–8566, Ehime, Japan |
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| Abstract: | To understand the relationships between shell growth and some environmental factors, we examined the relationships between water temperature or chlorophyll abundance and the shell growth of the Japanese pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, suspended at three different depths at two sites. Growth in height, length and thickness of the shells were limited by water temperature during winter (< 20 °C), whereas growth in thickness correlated with food abundance, measured as chlorophyll, during early summer (> 20 °C). These results suggest that the shell of P. fucata martensii could grow well at locations with greater abundance of food and adequate water temperatures (20–26 °C), resulting in a longer growing season. |
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| Keywords: | pearl oyster shell growth water temperature chlorophyll |
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