Growth, condition and survival relationships of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and environmental variables, cultured in suspension in the Navachiste-Macapule lagoon system, Sinaloa, Mexico

Evaluation of potential culture sites represents a ‘good practice’ alternative to support the development of oyster industry at the northeast of Mexico. The relationship of growth, condition and survival of Crassostrea gigas with the environmental parameters was studied at the Navachiste-Macapule lagoon system (Sinaloa, Mexico) from November 2011 to November 2012. The culture was carried out using 2,520 small oysters (3.5 ± 0.5 mm shell height) in a suspended longline system. The environmental parameters and oyster biometrics were sampled each 15 days. The mean values were: temperature= 25.01 ± 5.29°C, dissolved oxygen= 6.10 ± 1.93 mg L-1, salinity= 33.5, pH= 7.82 ± 0.39 and depth= 1.66 ± 0.55 m. The concentrations of total suspended solids, particulate organic matter and chlorophyll a fluctuated from 41.94 to 125.22 mg L-1, 8.91 to 15.22 mg L-1, and 13.36 to 3.69 mg m-3, respectively. After 13 culture months, the shell height reached 95.05 ± 9.21 mm, length 85.64 ± 20.01 mm, width 28.76 ± 10.91 mm, and the total weight 83.58 ± 17.18 g. The daily growth rate for the shell height and total weight were 0.25 mm day-1 and 0.23 g day-1 respectively. Significant differences were found for the total weight and the shell metric values throughout the culture. The final survival and mean condition index were 94.72% and 34.65 ± 4.46, respectively. Water temperature exerted a positive stronger effect on shell height and total weight. Results show that C. gigas reached the commercial size (80 mm SH) after 8 months of culture under the environmental conditions of the Navachiste-Macapule lagoon system, Sinaloa, Mexico. Obtained data contribute with basic information on further studies and commercial production cycles of this species in the region.