Growth Performance of the Mangrove Oyster Cultivated on the Amazon Coast

ABSTRACT

Abstract In the last decades the oyster faming stands out as the main mitigating measure to the decline of the fishery, as it presents socio-economic and environmental viability. However, for the success of the activity, it is necessary to understand the stages of cultivation, as well as the growth performance of the species to be cultivated. The present work aims to characterize the growth and survival of Crassostrea tulipa, cultivated on the Amazon coast. For this purpose, oysters were grouped by commercial size class (seed, juvenile, baby, average and masters) and compared the growth rates and their relationships with the abiotic variables. There was no difference in the average growth between the oyster classes, however, when comparing them in the total and percentage growth rates, a higher performance was observed in the oysters classified by juvenile and seed, respectively. The relationship of salinity to oyster growth was evidenced only in the class of juvenile oysters. The cultivation time required to obtain native oysters in the commercial size varied between four and seven months, being inferior to those found in other Brazilian regions.