Biology data on Berry Islands (Bahamas) queen conchs, Strombus gigas, with mariculture and fisheries management implications
Iversen ES, Rutherford ES, Bannerot SP, Jory DE. 1987. Biology data on Berry Islands (Bahamas) queen conchs, Strombus gigas, with mariculture and fisheries management implications. Fishery Bulletin. 85(2):299-310
Biological data designed to assess the mariculture potential of queen conchs, Strombus gigas, and to aid in management of stocks in the Berry Islands, Bahamas, were collected from March 1980 to February 1983. Juveniles congregated in shallow areas adjacent to cays with strong currents. Growth of queen conchs differed among cays and seemed related to conch density. Average growth rates from several cays in the Berry Islands showed that growth was slower than that reported for queen conchs in other areas in the Caribbean. Estimated survival of juvenile queen conchs (about 10 cm) was 57-80 percent per month, or 2-9 percent annually. Yield per recruit from this population can be maximized by harvesting the animals at about 15 cm, which is the size at onset of lip formation but may be below the size at maturity. Presently, potential for increasing queen conch production through intensive and/or extensive mariculture seems low because of high hatchery costs, lack of dependable mass-rearing techniques, high predation on young released in nature, and slow growth of penned conchs. Abstract provided by author.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Iversen, Edwin; Rutherford, Edward; Bannerot, Scott; Jory, Darryl
- Units
- BUIS
- Keywords
- Bahamas, Berry Island, Biology, Data, Fishery, Growth, Management, Queen conch, Snail, Strombus gigas