Antecedentes en el cultivo de Argopecten circularis (Sowerby), en Baja California Sur, México

Abstract

This paper reviews the current experimental and commercial efforts to further develop the mariculture of scallops in Baja California Sur by the Secretaría de Pesca and Marine Cultures Company. The catarina scallop, Argopecten circularis (Sowerby, 1935) is an edible pectinid, original inhabiting the northwest coast of México. The scallop culture in the Ensenada de La Paz has been developed gradually from 1977 until1981. In Bahía Magdalena, first essay were grown from spat collected during 1981-1982. New areas in the Pacific coast, Laguna San Ignacio, Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro, were testing practical cultures. Recently, in Bahía Concepción was searching the spat collectors (1987-1988). During this period, many studies have been carried out on the techniques for the natural seed collection and the management to obtain maximum production in levels in suspended and bottom culture. Under naturalconditions, the catarina scallop spawns form the late February to March when the water temperature rises from 19°C to 20°C in the Ensenada de La Paz. In Bahía Magdalena, spawns during January to May, and in Bahía Concepción spawns starting in April to May. In the Pacific Coast. The Laguna San Ignacio, Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro spawns in summer season, during June to September. The pelagic larvae attach to spat collector twenty days form spawning, the larvae are allowed to grow to about 8-12 mm in length. The juvenile scallops are put in plastic cage about 500 individual per cage at the beginning of culture, the reduced to 50 individuals in the final cultured, when reach marketable size (5-6 cm in length) in about 8-12 months. The bottom culture practice in enclosure adapted to shallow waters and the juvenile scallops protected by plastic nets from benthic predators.