Hatchery cultivation of the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule L.): from conditioning to grow‐out. (9th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pronker, Anna Elisabeth; Peene, Frank; Donner, Silke; Wijnhoven, Sander; Geijsen, Pieter; Bossier, Peter; Nevejan, Nancy Marie
• Is Part Of: Aquaculture research. Volume 46:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 302
• Page End: 312
• Publication Date: 2013-04-09
• Subjects: Aquaculture -- Periodicals; Fishery management -- Periodicals; 639.8
• DOI: 10.1111/are.12178
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-557X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en" id="are12178-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This study describes for the first time the cultivation of <italic>Cerastoderma edule</italic> on a commercial scale. A protocol to grow F₂ generation cockles was developed, which led to fine‐tuning experiments for broodstock conditioning and spat growth.</p> <p>Broodstock animals were conditioned with diets of <italic>Isochrysis galbana</italic> (T‐Iso) or <italic>Tetraselmis suecica</italic>, whereas a third group was not fed. The best diet, <italic>T. suecica, </italic> induced 12 females out of 100 animals to spawn a total of 3 380 000 eggs. The non‐fed group did not spawn.</p> <p>Cockle spat (4.9 ± 1.0 mm) grew best when given a mixed diet of <italic>C. muelleri</italic>, T‐Iso and <italic>Sceletonema costatum</italic>, or a mixture of <italic>P. tricornutum</italic> and <italic>S. costatum</italic> at a concentration of 240 cells μl⁻¹ day⁻¹<italic>, </italic> resulting in a tripling of their wet weight after 14 days. The impact of density, burrowing substrate and food availability on cockle spat growth (41 days old, 5.6 ± 1.2 mm) was studied for 11 weeks. Best results were obtained by culturing spat at <italic>ad libitum</italic> food conditions at 500 ind m⁻², resulting in an average growth rate of 168 μm day⁻¹, an average final size of 19.0 ± 1.9 mm and a total final biomass of 1040 g m⁻².</p> </abstract>