5.1 BASIC METHODOLOGY

5.1.1 Introduction

The hatchery culture of bivalves is as much an art as it is a science and the old adage applies that “there are many ways to skin a cat”. In a similar vein, the success of a hatchery is related more to the skill and intuitive “feel” for the work of the manager and technicians than it is to the location, the scale and quality of the physical structure and the sophistication of the available equipment. Every hatchery is different in the way it is managed and in the nuances of the manner in which the various aspects of culture are approached and the work done. There is no standard methodology as such but there are common denominators that relate to the need to fulfill the biological requirements of the different bivalve species through their early developmental stages.

This section of the manual synthesizes the various approaches and the methods used in the culture of larvae from the fertilized egg to settlement with emphasis on some of the more commonly cultured species.