Effects of four ecological factors on survival and growth rates of Cultelles scalprum juveniles

The effects of sediment,feed,temperature and salinity on the larval survival and growth rates of Cultelles scalprum juveniles with a mean shell length of 32.28±3.98mm were studied at Yongxing Station of the Zhejiang Mariculture Research Institute from 2008 to 2009.The results showed that the most suitable sediment was soft mud,which was better than sand and hard mud.The survival rates of Cultelles scalprum juveniles obtained using soft mud,sand and hard mud were 76.7%,71.7% and 60.0%,respectively.In addition,the order of suitable food was as follows: Chaetoceros muelleri,Isochrysis galbana and Platymonas subcordiformis,and the survival and growth rate of Cultelles scalprum juveniles feeding on Chaetoceros muelleri were 90.0% and 25.9%,respectively.Furthermore,the survival temperature ranged from 10 to 30℃ for juveniles,while the optimum growth temperature ranged from 26 to 30℃,the salinity range for the growth of juveniles was 18 to 26,and the optimum salinity for the growth was 22.Cultelles scalprum,like most coastal shellfishes,is a eurythermal and euryhaline breed.This shellfish juvenile grows better under low salinity than high salinity.