Production and growth of cultchless oyster spat of Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston) for single oyster culture

Abstract

In India, edible oyster (Crassostrea madrasensis) farming is being practised by several farmers in central Kerala employing the rack and ren method in the estuaries and backwaters. However, farmed oysters do not find ready marketability due to the high labour costs involved in handling and shucking. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin, Kerala, has developed the hatchery technology for edible oyster spat production, both cultched and cultchless. Nevertheless, these have not been commercialised due to the fact that spat collection from wild is still the most feasible option in oyster farming. The aim of the present study was to produce cultchless spat in the farm site itself and rear it to commercial size for harvesting uniform sized regular, rounded single oysters.