Abundance of Pinna carnea (Mytiloida : Pinnacea) juveniles in suspended-frame culture

We quantified the abundance of juvenile Pinna carnea at Turpialito, Golfo d e Cariaco, Venezuela, using collectors suspended at 8 m depth for 16 months and then evaluated their subsequent growth in suspended enclosures over 14 months in relation to concurrent measures of temperature and planktontonic food availability. All body components showed a rapid increase during the first four-five months. There was a decrease in somatic tissue mass and gre at variability in growth coincident at first spawning, suggesting a negativ e effect of gonadal production on somatic growth. A multiple regression ana lysis indicated a strong relationship between tissue growth and food availa bility as measured by organic sestonic matter. Although we determinated an adequated spat abundance for culture activities (80 spat per collector-30x6 0 cm), spat collection was limited, mainly from February through April. In addition to high variability in growth and negative influence of environmen tal factors during unfavorable periods, the muscles production required in 14 months, suggesting that P. carnea is not appropriate for commercial prod uction of muscle, However, the high weight of all edible tissues mass attai ned (21 g) and the high survival rate in all experimentation (> 96%) sugges ts that P. carnea is fit for aquaculture.