Beer, Andrew C., and Southgate, Paul C. (2000) Collection of pearl oyster (family Pteriidae) spat at Orpheus Island, Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Journal of Shellfish Research, 19 (2). pp. 821-826.

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the pearl oyster species recruiting to spat collectors (50% shade mesh in polyethylene mesh bags) and to examine temporal and depth differences in recruitment at Pioneer Bay Orpheus Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Over 24,900 bivalve spat were counted during the 12 months of study (March 1995 to March 1996). In excess of 21,600 pearl oyster spat were collected from three genera of the family Pteriidae: Pinctada, Pteria, and Electroma. The majority of this total (20,378) was the non-commercial species Electroma papillionacea (Lamarck 1819). However, collection of eight species of Pinctada (2,628 spat) and Five species of Pteria (approximately 1,200 spat) included species presently used in commercial pearl culture operations throughout the Indo Pacific, notably Pinctada margaritifera, Pinctada fucata, Pinctada albina, Pinctada maxima, and Pteria penguin. All species collected showed seasonal variation in recruitment intensity. Some species showed brief and temporally isolated types of spawning and associated recruitment pulse of temperate species, whereas the majority displayed peaks in recruitment intensity. A total of 231 P. margaritifera spat were collected during the study, with the recruitment peak (mean density 7.1 +/- 1.1 spat per collector unit) recorded between May and June 1995. No significant difference in recruitment densities between 2 m and 6 m were recorded for P. margaritifera. Pt. penguin settled at the highest densities at 6 m in March/April 1995 (mean recruitment per collector +/- SE 46.2 +/- 6.7). A total of 1.000 Pt. penguin spat were collected during the study, and a significant proportion of these settled on the outer mesh bag of the spat collector.

Item ID:	26268
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	0730-8000
Keywords:	pearl oyster; spat collector; pteriidae; pinctada; pteria; electroma
Date Deposited:	28 Apr 2013 22:40
FoR Codes:	07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0704 Fisheries Sciences > 070401 Aquaculture @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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