The potential for Chilean oysters, Tiostrea chilensis (Philippi, 1845), from two populations in northern New Zealand as a source of larvae for aquaculture

The use of the Chilean oyster, Tiostrea chilensis (Philippi, 1845), for aquaculture has been hampered by difficulty in obtaining commercial quantities of larvae due to the low fertility of the existing broodstock of this species taken from well-known populations in Chile and the South Island of New Zealand. The larval productions of two wild populations of this oyster in northern New Zealand were assessed as potential alternative sources of broodstock for aquaculture. The study found both populations produced larvae from young, small oysters, and that a much larger proportion of the population was brooding larvae each year than has been reported elsewhere. The mean fertility of one of these populations, at 71 056 ± 3701 (SE) larvae per oyster, was the highest reported for any population of this species. The significantly higher fertility of these populations makes them well suited for further development as broodstock for aquaculture.