Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

1992

Journal

Journal of Shellfish Research

Volume

11

Issue

1

First Page

55

Last Page

58

Abstract

A number of techniques have been reported to estimate condition index in oysters and other bivalve molluscs. We report and compare condition index, estimated by three different methods, for oysters collected from a single reef in the James River, Virginia over a four week period in the summer of 1987. Two indices express condition as a ratio of dry meat weight to shell cavity volume, but differ in methods of estimating shell cavity volume. A third method expresses condition as a ratio of dry meat weight to dry shell weight. Within the size range 36-96 mm length there is no effect of size on index values. We suggest that indices based on both shell cavity vqlume and shell weight have utility in reflecting biochemical or nutritive status; however, intercalibration is difficult and comparisons of data from different authors and locations limited in scope

Keywords

bivalve, condition index, oyster, clam, mussel

Download

Share Feedback

Share

COinS