Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture (2+1)

Unit 7 - Culture of Molluscs and Seaweeds

7.2. Mussel Farming

Mussel farming has one of the highest potential for increasing protein rich food for aquatic environment. Mussels give the highest conversion of primary production (phytoplankton) to human food and production in water column enhances yield several fold.

The important genera of mussels farmed around the world are Mytilus and Perna. The major mussel producing countries are Spain, the Netherlands, France and Italy. 93% of the total world production of mussels through aquaculture comes from the above four countries. The species cultured in different countries are as follows:

• Mytilus edulis – the Netherlands, France and Spain
• Mytilus galoprovincialis – Italy,Yugoslavia and Russia
• Mytilus smaragdinus = Perna viridis – the Philippines.

Life History

Mussels filter feed on phytoplankton and suspended organic matter. Large quantities of seawater are filtered for this purpose. They reach sexual maturity in first year. They spawn with rising temperature in the temperate region and almost throughout the year in tropics. Sexes are separate, fertilization external. Larvae pass through trochophore and veliger stage, both are planktonic. When they reach a shell length of 0.25 to 0.3mm, after 10-15 days, they attach to hard substratum such as rocks by means of byssus threads. They can detach and reattach to different substrates. They conglomerate and form thickly populated beds on rocks and other substratum mainly in the sub-tidal areas of the sea.

Mussel production cycle