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Abstract

Comparative efficiency in the culture of the scallop Nodipecten nodosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) at different densities and depths. Different methods of growth of scallops are used which employ different densities and depths in several parts of the globe. These methods present different efficiencies depending on the location, the species, and the stage of cultivation. In order to establish a recommended growth system for Nodipecten nodosus, survival and growth rates were compared for two densities (50 and 100 seeds per lanternet floor) and three depths (4, 9 and 14 m), evaluating the physico-chemical and environmental parameters of the growing-out area. The seeds had an initial length of 23.93mm ± 2.39, and at the end of the experiment, the highest average was approximately 47.97mm ± 4.54 at a depth of 4m, in low density. After 4 month’s experimentation, it was observed that the survival did not differ according to the tested densities and depths (P>0.05). However, the final growth was significantly greater at 4m in low density, when compared to the final growth at a depth of 14m in high density. It was concluded that the most viable culture method for N. nodosus was the one close to the surface (4m), where organic matter presented the lowest rate, and chlorophyll a and final growth rates were found to be the highest, consequently classifying this depth as the most viable during the intermediate culture.