The First Experience of Cage Farming of Hatchery-Reared Juvenile Scallop, Mizuhopecten yessoensis, off the Eastern Coast of Primorsky Krai

Abstract

The characteristics of the farming of hatchery-reared juvenile Yesso scallop, Mizuhopecten yessoensis, in suspended net cages off the eastern coast of Primorsky Krai are studied. The work was conducted at a farm located northeast of Moryak-Rybolov Bay during the first 10 days of November 2018. The values of survival and growth rates of scallops on collectors and grow-out cages were determined. The survival rate of the Yesso scallop spat after being transported from Shandong Province, China and seeded in suspended cages was 85%, which is consistent with the regional standard. A high mortality rate of juvenile scallops (56–90%) was recorded in September–November. The mean size (shell height) of hatchery-reared spat in the cages in November did not differ from that of spat on collectors in southern Primorsky Krai. In the waters near Moryak-Rybolov Bay, the growth rate of scallops was somewhat lower than in southern Primorsky Krai but, nevertheless, higher than in Vladimir Bay and Aniva Bay. The mean body weight of scallop spat in November was 1.5 ± 0.1 g. The possible causes of the increased mortality rate of the bivalves and the solutions of the problem are discussed.