GROWTH AND MORTALITY OF THE TROPICAL SCALLOPS - ANNACHLAMYS-FLABELLATA (BERNARDI), COMPTOPALLIUM-RADULA (LINNE) AND MIMACHLAMYS-GLORIOSA (REEVE) IN SOUTHWEST LAGOON OF NEW-CALEDONIA

Major growth relationships were computed for Annachlanys flabellata, C omptopallium radula, and Mimachlamys gloriosa. The size-weight relatio nship for M. gloriosa is isometric; for other species studied, the rel ationship is decreasingly allometric. The edible part(muscle + gonad) represents about 50% of the fresh weight for the three species studied . The estimated parameters of Von Bertalanffy's equation on N capture- recapture measurements were estimated. Growth rate, during the year, i s greatest when the temperature is increasing; it is reduced at maximu m temperatures and remains stable during the cool season. Pectinids ca n be separated into two groups according to growth rate. Natural morta lity was estimated for two species (C. radula and M. gloriosa) of pect inidae in Southwest Lagoon.