Eo. Campos et al., METAMORPHOSIS OF LABORATORY-REARED LARVAE OF CONCHOLEPAS-CONCHOLEPAS (MOLLUSCA, GASTROPODA), Aquaculture, 126(3-4), 1994, pp. 299-303
Metamorphosis of laboratory-reared larvae of the gastropod Concholepas
concholepas was observed under the influence of K+ ions. After 64 h o
f incubation at 10 degrees C, 58% of larvae metamorphosed in response
to 20 mM K+ final concentration in seawater, 11 mM above ambient. No e
ffect was observed at 15 mM K+. Likewise, larvae were unable to surviv
e when exposed to 25 mM K+. Metamorphosed individuals of C. concholepa
s migrated to the water-air interface within 28 h of their metamorphos
is. This study reports the first successful experiment on the inductio
n of metamorphosis in laboratory-reared larvae of C. concholepas. The
advantages of mass production of larvae with metamorphic capacity of t
his economically important resource, related to its eventual culture o
n a pilot scale are discussed.