Abstract

In México, mussels production is almost inexistent. This fishery is present only in Baja California peninsula. Mussels in México had been low valued, but with local exploitation along country's coasts. The hooked mussel/schadium recurvum is a species consumed in a regional scale and with aquacultural potential in Gulf of México coast. In this work, the gonadic cycle and three condition index of I. recurvum was determined for stablishing the spawning period and the physiological status of I. recurvum population in Mecoacán lagoon, in the Southeast of Mexico. The samples were obtained monthly during a year and fixed in bouin, embebed in parafin and cut for obtain 6 um thick slides. The staining method used was hematoxilin and eosin. The gonadic cycle was based in observations from these histological preparations. It was defined five phases of gametogenic development: gametogenesis, matury, spawning, postspawning and indifferent. Physiological condition index were: tissue dry weigh/shell cavity volume (TDW/SCV),tissue dry weigh/shell dry weigh (TDW/SDW) and ash free dry weigh/shell dry weigh (AFDW/SDW). Two protracted spawning periods was determined, from January to May and from July to Octuber, with peaks of 30 % (March) and 40 % (September), respectively. The patron of spawning and gametogenesis is similar to other tropical mussels. The condition index showed a significative increment during Octuber-March period, indicating a high somatic production forthis mytilid, compared with other mussels.

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