Abstract

Early seeds of Mulinia edulis, produced in a hatchery, were nursered in a suspended cultivation system in the ocean, one treatment with (TA) and another without sand (TSA), in Bahía Yal (Chiloé), in order to test the feasibility of pre-fattening. Two initial sizes (2.9±0.7 mm and 6.2±0.7 mm) and two cultivation densities (1 (D1) and 2 (D2) seeds*cm-2) were tested. Additionally, the growth and the survival of seeds in systems installed both on the periphery and in the center of the cultivation lines were tested. The experiments were maintained for 40 days in the sea. In the TA the small seeds grew an average of 5.0 mm and the large seeds an average of 4.9 mm, and in the TSA, 0.9 mm and 0.7 mm respectively. The survival of the seeds in the TA (small=51.3±14.2% and large=62.3±5.4%) was greater than in the TSA (small=18.9±10.1% and large=40±8.1%). In the cultivation density experiment, the largest sizes were seen in the TA, with an average growth of 5.0 mm in D1 and 4.5 mm in D2. The greatest survival was attained in TA D1=51.3±14.2% and D2=49.4±10.5%) and the lowest in the WST (D1=18.9±10.1% and D2=7.1±1.7%). The growth and the survival of the seeds were greater in the periphery than in the center of the cultivation lines, nevertheless no differences were observed in the survival. The results show that it is feasible to do large-scale nursering in early seeds at the initial size of 2.9 mm with a density of 2 seeds*cm2.