New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Larvae of the incubatory oyster Tiostrea chilensis (Bivalvia: Ostreidae) in the plankton of central and southern New Zealand
H. J. CRANFIELD
K. P. MICHAEL
Fisheries Research Centre
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
P.O. Box 297, Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract Planktonic larvae of the flat oyster,
Tiostrea chilensis (Philippi, 1843), were discovered in Tasman Bay and Golden Bay (central New Zealand) and Foveaux Strait (southernNew Zealand). This oyster was previously thought not to have planktonic larvae. The central New Zealand larvae ranged from 394 to 533 |im in length, significantly smaller than those from southern New Zealand which ranged from 448 to 541 (im. By comparison the prodissoconch length of spat indicated these larvae settled between 429 and 537
\im in length in Tasman Bay and Golden Bay, and between 470 and 556 |0.m in Foveaux Strait. We estimated the total production of larvae as well as the total numbers of planktonic larvae released by oysters in the central and southern areas of New Zealand, the data point to a greater proportion of planktonic larvae being released in the central area. The great majority of
T. chilensis larvae appear to be incubated until ready to settle. The ability to release some planktonic larvae should play a considerable part in maintaining gene flow in
T. chilensis, enhance dispersal, and could provide a further stabilising factor in the populations and the fisheries of Foveaux Strait and Tasman and Golden Bays.
Keywords Ostreidae; oysters; Tiostrea chilensis; life cycle; brooding behaviour; larvae; plankton; New Zealand; Golden Bay; Tasman Bay; Foveaux Strait; dispersion; fishery management
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1989, Vol. 23: 51-60 0028-8330/89/2301-0051S2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1989 Received 10 June 1987; accepted 31 May 1988
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (826K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
