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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(1)

Modelling and comparison of growth of the silver-lip pearl oyster Pinctada maxima (Jameson) (Mollusca : Pteriidae) cultured in West Papua, Indonesia

Anne M. Lee A C , Ashley J. Williams B and Paul C. Southgate A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Pearl Oyster Research Group, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Qld 4811, Australia.

B Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Qld 4811, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: anne.lee@jcu.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(1) 22-31 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF07112
Submitted: 30 May 2007  Accepted: 2 November 2007   Published: 25 January 2008

Abstract

A commonly used approach to quantifying growth is to fit mathematical models to length-at-age data. Growth of the silver-lip pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima, cultured at a commercial pearl farm in West Papua, Indonesia was expressed mathematically by fitting five growth models (Gompertz, Richards, Logistic, Special von Bertalanffy Growth Function (VBGF) and General VBGF) to length-at-age data. The criteria used to determine the best fit model were a low mean residual sum of squares (MRSS), high coefficient of determination (r2) and low deviation of the asymptotic length (L∞) from the maximum length (Lmax). Using these criteria, the models were ranked accordingly: Special VBGF; General VBGF; Gompertz; Richards and Logistic models. The Special VBGF yielded the best fit (L∞ = 168.38 mm; K = 0.930 year–1; t0 = 0.126; MRSS = 208.64; r2 = 0.802; Deviation of L∞ from Lmax = 37.52 mm) and, accordingly, was used to model the growth of oysters cultured at three sites and two depths within the farm. Likelihood ratio tests were used to compare growth of oysters cultured at these sites and depths. Based on L∞ and K values, favourable sites and depths could be determined that optimised growth requirements for the various stages of P. maxima culture. Sites with high K and L∞ values were preferred sites for culturing juvenile oysters before pearl production, when high growth rate is essential to produce large numbers of oysters in the shortest time possible. In addition, high L∞ may facilitate implantation of larger nuclei conducive to the production of larger, more valuable pearls. Conversely, sites with low K values were preferred sites for weakening P. maxima before pearl ‘seeding’, a process undertaken to minimise nucleus rejection after seeding.


Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Atlas Pacific Limited and to Dr Joseph Taylor in particular for their support of this research. We would also like to acknowledge technical assistance of P. T. Cendana staff at Aljui and Batu Terio, West Papua.


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