The horse-bearded mussel Modiolus barbatus (Linneus, 1758) is an important edible bivalve in the Adriatic Sea; its population is especially large in the Mali Ston Bay area, where the species is present at depths up to 8 m. In order to assess the sustainable exploitation rate for this species, as well as to estimate its potential capacity for a sustainable aquaculture production, we determined the species' reproductive cycle along with its nutrient storage strategy, employing histological and biochemical methods. The population shows significantly more females than males, and no hermaphrodites. The smallest adult individual, an active male, was 16.0 mm in length, suggesting that sexual maturation starts around this length. While the period between January and February is characterized by sexual repose, early and late stages of gametogenesis were found between March and May, and spawning peaked from June till August. The increase of oocyte diameter followed the same trend. A significant positive correlation was observed between gonad index and temperature, and a negative correlation between gonad index and salinity. Oscillations of stored nutrients were tightly coupled with the gametogenic cycle.
Juveniles of the fan mussel Pinna nobilis were collected in Mali Ston Bay from October to December 2006. Cages with juveniles were placed at three depths: 1, 3 and 5 m. At the end of a 2-year growth period at 1 m depths, the average length was 244.1 ± 22.9 mm, at 3 m depths, specimens averaged 244.0 ± 25.3 mm, and at 5 m depths, the average length was 231.1 ± 22.5 mm. The average monthly growth of shell length for the total experimental period was 8.7 ± 5.3, 8.4 ± 4.5 and 7.6 ± 4.4 mm, at 1, 3 and 5 m depths respectively.
A roughtail stingray, Dasyatis centroura, and a spiny buterfly ray, Gymnura altavela, were caught near Kolocčep Island (Elafiti Archipelago, southern Adriatic) and the settlement Crkvice (Pelješac Peninsula, southern Adriatic) in October 2002 and November 2000, respectively. The roughtail stingray is the largest specimen recorded. Morphometric data of spiny butterfly ray are the first for this species in the Adriatic Sea.
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