ABSTRAC T
Climate change threatens the sustainable cultivation of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Adriatic Sea and affects its market quality. One measure of quality is the relative proportion of the edible part („meat “) measured by the condition index. In summer, at the time of highest market demand , high temperatures and fluctuations in water inflow from land can affect the reduced amount of food in nature and cause a drop in the condition index (CI=dry meat mass/shell mass) of cultured mussels. Time-limited shellfish farming in the recirculation system, along with controlled feeding, is a technological solution for mitigating the consequences of climate change. In this work, the influence of the size of the daily meal, of 3% ,4,5% and 6% dry matter of single-celled algae (Tisocrisis lutea ) per gram of dry matter of meat on mussel CI, at three temperatures (12, 18 and 24°C), was evaluated. After acclimatization (7 days), after feeding for 14 days, and after starvation for 14 days, a sample of 15 individuals was taken from each pool to measure length, mass, mass of dried meat and calculate CI . The results obtained were tested by ANOVA Main Effects . The temperature had a significantly weaker effect than the size of a daily meal.
Keywords : Mytilus galloprovincialis , Tisocrisis lutea, fitness index, climate change, recirculation system