Abstract

An increased understanding of the general bilogy of Argopecten purpuratus (lamarck) is necessary to produce succeefully high quality larvae in hatcheries an to collect enough spat in situ for growth on long lines. In the present study, the reprocutive cycles of two populations of A. purpuratus were examined, the Mejillones and Rinconada scallop banks, fron 1989 to 1993. Calculation of the gonadosomatic index and a complementary histological study of the gonad revealed differences between the two populations in their reproductive cycle as well as in the quantity of gamete emissions.