Abstract
The present study examines the juvenile growth of nine cohorts of Mimachlamys varia in a coastal area of the Ionian Sea, from January 2014 to May 2015. The results showed that M. varia could reach commercial size in less than one year of cultivation, but significant differences in absolute growth rate (AGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were found among cohorts (p < 0.05). Relationships between scallop growth (size and weight) and environmental variables (water temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll concentration) were also identified. The length–weight relationship showed negative allometric growth and indicated high correlation with R2, ranging from 0.95 to 0.82. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters showed the highest values of L∞ in the cohorts collected in January, April and February (52.2, 51.2 and 50.3), respectively. The growth performance index (φ’) ranged between 2.52 (cohort collected in June) and 3.03 (cohort collected in August). The obtained data add basic knowledge to the growth performance of this species, making this a good opportunity to facilitate aquaculture diversification in this part of Mediterranean Sea.
Highlights
The European Union promoted “Blue Growth” as a strategy to forward the core principles of environmentally smart, integrated and socio-economically sensitive management
The mean dissolved oxygen was at its maximum in October and March, with 107 and 103 mg/l, and at its minimum in August (86.7 mg/L) (ANOVA, p < 0.05)
The results of this study show different growth rates in the cohorts studied, which could be explained by the seasonal fluctuations of the considered environmental variables
Summary
The European Union promoted “Blue Growth” as a strategy to forward the core principles of environmentally smart, integrated and socio-economically sensitive management. This strategy aims to improve the access, utilization and production efficiency of natural resources in several maritime sectors. In Italy, bivalve aquaculture is based mainly on Mediterranean mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum. Interest in the Pectinidae family, commonly known as scallops, has increased significantly in recent years [4]. They represent part of the global seafood market and support commercial fisheries and aquaculture all around the world [5].
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