Effect of Water Temperature, Rearing Density, Salinity, and Food Organisms on The Growth and Survival Rate in Early Juvenile Hard Shelled Mussel, Mytilus coruscus
For the effective seedling production of the hard shelled mussel, Mytilus coruscus, this study assessed the effects of the dietary value of live food, density, water temperature and salinity on growth and survival rate of the larvae. The optimal survival rate and growth rate were examined under differing conditions of water temperature, salinity, and rearing density for 30 days. The three groups were provided different feeding organisms, such as Isochrysis galbana and Teleaulax suecica. The mixtures were provided at a rate of 5×104 cell mL-1. The best growth was observed in the group with conditions 21℃ water temperature (16.2±9.1 μm), 33 psu of salinity (16.82±3.9 μm), 2500 individual m-2 (17.2±5.9 μm), and fed with 5×104 cell mL-1 of I. galbana and T. suecica mixture (16.0±7.3 μm). The highest survival rate was found in the group at conditions 18℃ water temperature (66.4%), 33 psu of salinity (24.4%), 2500 individual m-2 (65.8%), and fed with 5×104 cell mL-1 of I. galbana and T. suecica mixture (58.8%). We therefore conclude that the suitable culture conditions for the stable production of hard shelled mussel artificial seedlings was at 18 to 21℃ of temperature, 30 to 33 psu of salinity, 2500 to 5000 individual m-2 of rearing density, and feeding supplement of 5×104 cell mL-1 of I. galbana and T. suecica mixture under semi running water system.