Biology of the green mussel, Perna viridis (Linnaeus) cultured in Muttukadu lagoon, Madras

Abstract

This paper deals with the biology of the green mussel, Pema viridis (Linnaeus), cultured by pole and bag methods in the Maiiculture Farm of CM. F.R. I., located in the Muttukadu lagoon, near Madras. In the culture system, the mussel showed a growth of 79.8 mm in 11 months. The growth was better in the cultured population than that of the natural bed mussels. The growth was not uniform, but varied with active and slow phases in different months. Spent and spent resorbti ve gonads were predominant among both males and females. Ripe and spawning mussels were foimd in px>d numbers from January to April. Sexes were evenly distributed in the cultured mussels. A significant leature was that, inspite of the occurrence of ripe and spawning mussels, there was scanty settlement of spat, suggesting unfavourable conditions in the area for the establishment of mussel populations.