Abstract

Larval development in the conch Strombus gigas has been widely studied in order to define the different aspects of their physiological and environmental requirements. Despite all of this information that has been generated, a few locations in the Caribbean have had good results in the culture of the larval stage of this species. In Mexico, diverse studies have been undertaken to define aspects of larval ecophysiology and the dynamics of their dietary requirements. However, in the adaptation of these techniques to mass cultures there is a high mortality in the first few days of larval development. In this work we present the efforts undertaken at CRIP Puerto Morelos, INP to adapt techniques for culturing larvae on a massive scale. Various culturing systems have been tested, including complete water turnover, continuous flow systems and systems with biological filters, all with the primary goal of increasing survival. Different experiments have been undertaken to determine the biotic and abiotic factors that allow one to define the techniques required for the culturing of larvae on a massive scale. The different agents that were used to induce metamorphosis and the techniques for the production of diets and the handling of post-metamorphic organisms are described.

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