Culture of Freshwater Mussels
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Culture of Freshwater Mussels Dr. Shivendra Kumar COF, Dholi, DRPCAU Dr. Shivendra Kumar Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) 1 Freshwater mussels • Lamellidens marginalis • Lamellidens corrianus • Parryesia corrugata • Kingdom Animalia • Phylum Mollusca • Class Bivalvia • Order Unionoida • Family Unionidae • Mostly used for pearl farming and mother of pearl industry. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 2 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Life cycle Dr. Shivendra Kumar 3 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Life cycle • The reproductive biology of Unionoid mussels is a wonder of nature. Male unionoids release sperm in aggregates (spermatozeugmata) that are carried by water currents to the female. • Fertilization takes place in water passages within the gills of the female, and the fertilized eggs are brooded within these spaces. • Embryonic development is completed within days to weeks. • The mature glochidia may be brooded for several months (bradytictic) or may be released shortly after maturation (tachytictic). • Depending on species, glochidia may be "broadcast" from the female in the excurrent water stream. • Larval threads may be deployed to aid suspension of the glochidia. Other species release glochidia within cohesive masses of eggs (conglutinates). • Conglutinates act as baits to attract host fish. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 4 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) • Glochidia range in size from about 60 microns to nearly 400 microns. Although glochidia may survive for months during brooding, they seldom survive more than a few days after release unless they reach a compatible host. • In india ICAR CIFA experimented with hosts for Lamellidens marginalis and found that Glossogobius giuris and Cirrhinus mrigala are excellent hosts for attachment of golchidia. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 5 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 6 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) The shell consists of three distinct layers i. Periostracum: • The thin outermost layer made of conchiolin, a substance related to chitin, and imparts colour to the shell. ii. Ostracum or prismatic layer: • The thick middle layer, composed of alternate layers of conchiolin and prisms of calcic substances. iii. Nacreous layer or mother of pearl: • The innermost layer composed of alternate layers of conchiolin and calcic substances. The layer is smooth and lustrous. • The nacreous layer is secreted by the outer surface of the mantle. Pearl is secreted by this layer. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 7 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 8 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Freshwater pearl culture • The best part of pearl farming is except for grafting process,pearl culture is a relatively simple aquaculture business as mussels, being filter feeders do not require artificial feeds. • Thus if the mussels can be collected from wild in good condition (> 8 cm in length) then they can serve as donor or reciepients of graft tissues for pearl farming. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 9 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) 1. Collection • As part of this task, healthy mussels are collected from the freshwater bodies such as rivers and ponds. • These mussels should be collected manually and kept in containers/pots/buckets along with water. • It is recommended to use above 8 cm in anteriorposterior length in freshwater pearl culture. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 10 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) 2. Acclimatization • After collecting the mussels or oysters, they should be prepared for pre-culture conditioning for 2-3 (2 or 3 days) days by keeping mussels in crowded condition in captivity with aged tap water at a stocking density of 1 mussel / liter water. • This Pre-culture conditioning helps in easy handling of mussels during surgery. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 11 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 12 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) 3. Graft tissue preparation • In this process, the mussels should be divided into 2 groups such as the donor mussel group and the recipient mussel group. • As part of the procedure, one should prepare the graft which is kind of small pieces of mantle tissue. • This can be done by preparing a mantle ribbon from a donor mussel group, and cutting that into small pieces of 2 mm x 2 mm. • The implantation should be carried on recipient mussels • The graft pieces are introduced into the pockets created at the inner side of posterior pallial mantle followed by a small nucleus of 2 mm diameter is introduced in the pockets. • In both cases, make sure that the graft or nucleus does not come out of the pocket. Implantation can be done at mantle ribbons of both valves. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 13 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 14 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 15 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Gonadal Implantation in Pearl Farming • In this process, preparation of grafts should be done as described in mantle tissue method. • THIS METHOD IS VERY RISKY!!!! • First and foremost, a cut should be made at the edge of the gonad of the mussel. • Then a graft should be inserted into the gonad followed by nucleus of 2 to 4 mm diameter to keep the nucleus and graft close contact. • Make sure that nucleus touches the outer epithelial layer of the graft and the intestine is not cut during the surgery procedure. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 16 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Post-operative Care of Mussels in Pearl Farming • Implanted mussels should be kept in post- operative care units such as nylon bags for 10 to 11 days with antibiotic treatment and supply of natural feed /food. • These units should checked daily for any removal of dead mussels and the ones that reject the nucleus. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 17 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Dr. Shivendra Kumar 18 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121) Pond culture of mussels • After post-operative care, the implanted mussels should be stocked in the ponds. • The mussels should be kept in nylon bags usually 2 mussels/bag and should be hung from bamboo sticks or PVC pipes and placed in ponds at 1 meter depth. • The mussels should be cultured at stocking density of 25,000 to 30,000/ha. The ponds should be fertilized with organic and inorganic fertilizer periodically to sustain the plankton productivity. • Periodical examination of mussels should be carried out to remove dead ones and cleaning of bags should be carried out throughout the culture period of 12 to 20 months. Dr. Shivendra Kumar 19 Freshwater Aquaculture (AQC-121).