Abstract

The present work summarizes the results obtained throughout 10 years of investigation on the larviculture of Strombus gigas, made in the laboratory of Marine Biology of CINVESTAV IPN Unit Mérida.\During the different cultures the same methodology has been used: temperature of 29º ± 1ºC, density of 200 larvae/L, feeding with Tetraselmis suecica at a concentration of 1000 algal cells/ml.\The site of sampling for the obtaining of the masses of eggs has been the Alacran Reef. Twenty two cultures were made during the months of March, April, May, June, July, August and September.\The time of appearance varied between 92 and 96 hours with a 94 average of ±1.51 hours after the ovoposition. The shell length at hatching was of 300±6.17 µm (n = 1980 larvae).\At hatching the larvae of the months of June, July and August, presented four velar lobes and 2.0 shell whorls (n = 810 larvae), whereas those of March, April, May and September showed two velar lobes and 1.5 shell whorls (n = 1170 larvae).\The larvae reached at the time of the metamorphosis as hell length between 867 and 893 µm, with a 879 average of ±1.23 µm, after the months of June, July and August, whereas the larvae of the other group of months obtained a shelllength between 879 and 902 µm, with a 879 average of ±5.28 µm.\The obtained results, nevertheless, show that the larvae during the first months of the season of reproduction in the Alacran Reef had a slower development in relation to the larvae of the intermediate months; the growth was similar for both groups of months.

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