ABSTRACT
Spat collectors consist of clean oyster shells suspended on a 3 mm nylon rope at spaced intervals of 15 – 20 cm and suspended from racks, close to natural oyster beds. Spat collection and further rearing is carried out at the same farm site and harvestable size of 80 mm is reached in 8 – 10 months. In India pioneering attempts were made by James Hornell in 1910 in developing Oyster Culture in erstwhile Madras state. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute undertook scientific investigations at Tuticorin from early 70’s and as a result, complete package of the technology is available in the country. The edible oyster is a sedentary animal. The soft body of the animal is encased in two shell valves out of which the upper valve acts as a lid to open and close by contraction and relaxation of the adductor muscle. Oysters mainly feed on organic detritus and phytoplanktonic organisms like diatoms and nanoplanktons.
