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Abstract:
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The Indian edible oyster Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston) is known to be a highly suitable candidate species for culture. Though Q, madrasensis has been subjected to intensive research, there has been no significant attempt to culture this oyster commercially. One major reason for the lack of interest in oyster culture could be the disparity in growth, survival and production reported by earlier workersf from different regions along the Indian coast. Greater predictability of production can create confidence and encourage entrepreneurs interested
in oyster culture. The present study, which is a detailed investigation on the influence of various environmental variables on growth and reproduction of Q, madrasensis, is not confined to the impact of only hydrological parameters but is also extended to study the effect of different degrees of aerial exposure on growth and survival. The main objective of the study is to develop a background for subsequent development of a site suitability index for culture of Q, madrasensis along the Indian coast. Two sets of experiments were conducted during the present study. Details of the experiments are presented in the thesis under two major chapters comprising four sections each. Each chapter has a separate introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion.
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