Effect of low temperature on the survival of edible oyster Crassostrea madrasensis during transportation and storage

The survival of the tropical edible oyster (Crassostrea madrasensis) was examined under the condition of ice-storage in a rectangular thermocol-transport box for a period of 48 h. A total of 100 two-year old farmed oysters were used for the experimental transportation. Inside the box, all oysters were arranged in four layers covered with wet-gunny bags and lined on the top and bottom with ice. Surface and bottom temperature of the transport box varied from 9.7 to 25.2˚ C and 9.7 to 28.4˚ C respectively during the 48 h exposure. The patterns of changing temperature at both surface and bottom were found to be different. Recoveries of the oysters at every two hours till 48h were monitored by taking random samples from the box. All the oysters recovered within 1 h of being placed back into seawater and there was close to 100% recovery within 2 hours