Oyster culture in the lagoon-estuarine region of Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil. I. Collection of oyster spats, Crassostrea brasiliana( Lamarck, 1819 ) in the natural environment

Abstract

From 1975 to 1978 experiment in spat collection, one of the most important stages of oyster culture was carried out in the lagoon-estuarine region of Cananéia, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Twice a week a test collector was used at two different depths of 2 to 3 m and 7 to 8 m. The density was estimated by the number of individuals/day.l00 cm². In a subtropical region like Cananéia, the spawning of oyster, as well as of barnacles (Balanus sp), occurs during whole year and such a test is necessary to know the best period for spat fixation. The results show that at depths of 2 to 3 m the spats collection is not feasible due to the high incidence of barnacle larvae. The periods of January to June and October to December were the best ones for spats collection at depths of 7 to 8 m.