Publication Abstract

Procedures for the maintenance and hatchery conditioning of bivalve broodstocks

S.D. Utting

Before 1960, importations of non-native bivalve seed for deposit in coastal waters of the UK were successful in maintaining a reasonable supply of consumable shellfish. The ecological risks were disregarded. Imported seed received no quarantine treatment and a number of pests were accidentally introduced as a result. These included the slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata), the American tingle (Urosalpinx cinerea) and a copepod gut parasite of the mussel (Mytilicola intestinalis). In the early 1960s, as a result of an increasing awareness of the risks of introducing non-indigenous pests, parasites and diseases, these large-scale importations of seed bivalves were stopped. To sustain the molluscan shellfish industry, the development of hatchery culture techniques was essential. Many of the techniques were pioneered or developed at the Conwy Laboratory (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food). These techniques included procedures for the maintenance and hatchery-conditioning of bivalve broodstocks, some of which are described in this report.

Reference:

S.D. Utting, 1993. Procedures for the maintenance and hatchery conditioning of bivalve broodstocks. World Aquaculture, 24(3): 78-82