Effects of stocking density and thinning-out on growth and survival in an experimental suspended culture of the mussel Mytilus platensis d'Orbigny, 1842, in San Jorge Gulf, Argentina

There has been a renewed interest in the development of mussel farming in Argentina in the recent years. However, this activity still takes place on a small scale or experimentally in the Patagonian region. Knowing the effects of initial densities and thinning-out on growth and survival at an experimental scale is a necessary basic information for the development of experiences that allow the study of productive parameters in larger-scale culture. For these reasons, this work aimed to analyze the effect of initial densities and thinning-out on the growth and survival of the mussel Mytilus platensis in an experimental suspended culture in the central coastal region of San Jorge Gulf, Argentina. Two cultivation techniques were studied, with and without thinning-out, for 9 months at two initial densities (400 and 700 ind. m-1). Seed was supplied by a hatchery. Size, weight and survival of the mussels were monitored. The best performance was achieved without thinning-out at the lower density. Additionally, animals reached an average of more than 65 mm with this strategy, obtaining commercial sizes in less than one year. These results allow us to conclude that the thinning-out strategy is recommended for cultivating mussels on a small scale in this region at a density of 400 ind. m-1 for a minimum of 9 months