@article{PAR00012466,
  title = {{B}iofouling development and its effect on growth and reproduction of the farmed pearl oyster {P}inctada margaritifera},
  author = {{L}acoste, {E}. and {L}e {M}oullac, {G}. and {L}evy, {P}. and {G}ueguen, {Y}. and {G}aertner-{M}azouni, {N}abila},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n bivalve aquaculture, dominant fouling organisms are filter feeders which can compete for food with reared bivalves, sometimes causing mortality or reducing their growth rate. {T}his study investigated the effect of biofouling on the farmed pearl oyster {P}inctada margantifera in two lagoons of {F}rench {P}olynesia. {S}urvival, growth and reproduction of 2 year-old pearl oysters were monitored with regular sampling schedules, from the initial stage of colonization up to 20 months of biofouling accumulation. {C}ontrol groups of pearl oysters were kept free of biofouling as is the current practice in pearl farms. {A}fter more than a year of monitoring, no significant difference was recorded in shell growth rate between pearl oysters reared with epibionts and the control group of pearl oysters, at both sites. {M}ean annual shell growth rate (height) was 30.5 +/- 9.2 mm in {T}ahiti and 24.8 +/- 7.7 mm in {M}angareva. {N}either the survival nor the reproduction indices were negatively affected by biofouling. {I}n {M}angareva, where biofouling development was quantified during 1 year, the rate of colonization appeared to be high during the first 3 months before slowing down. {T}hese results raise questions about the necessity of removing biofouling at this stage of pearl oyster production (i.e. before grafting).},
  keywords = {{P}earl oyster culture ; {P}inctada margaritifera ; {B}iofouling ; {G}rowth ; {R}eproduction ; {POLYNESIE} {FRANCAISE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}quaculture},
  volume = {434},
  numero = {},
  pages = {18--26},
  ISSN = {0044-8486},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.07.012},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00012466},
}