CRESCIMENTO DE Mytella charruana CULTIVADO EM MANGUEZAIS DE MACROMARÉ DA COSTA AMAZÔNICA, BRASIL

Abstract

Over the Brazilian coast, many species of bivalve molluscs have been widely explored as a protein source and increase of family income, among them Mytella charruana and Mytella guyanensis. With still not significant production, the research aimed to contribute to the development of the mussel farming, offer an alternative to the environmental impacts of extraction and provide greater food production for the population. For this, M. charruana productive parameters and environmental (oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a and suspended matter) were evaluated in experimental farming under macrotidal regime in northeastern Brazil. The individuals of M. charruana used in the experiment were recruited in site and the stranding performed according to the French method. The collectors were fixed for 60 days to the floating raft system type and thereafter mussels recruited were transferred to the experimental farming. 18 ropes with 50 cm in length, containing 420 seeds each, and having a mean initial size of 20.3mm were made. The results showed that M. charruana growth was about 20.2mm for shell height during the experiment and that the monthly growth was 3.36mm. Already the weight gain was 3.9 g which represented a monthly weight gain of 0.65g. At the end of the experiment it was found that the growth of the valve height and total weight of mussels was significantly higher in the dry season. Since the regression analysis showed no significant influence of environmental variables on growth, the hypothesis for the observed difference between the dry and rainy periods may be related to the associated foul and fouling fauna. In short, M. charruana growth can be considered satisfactory when compared to previous studies and contribute to the development of activity also in regions under large tidal regimes.