12 SEPTEMBER 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG The culture techniques employed have low environmental impact and scallop filter-feeding habits makes this bivalve very attractive for culture because it does not require external food input. The live, fresh-from-the-farm, sustainable shellfish product, continues to have positive consumer acceptance, stimulating the development of good and growing market demand (Lovatelli et al. 2008). A government initiative was launched in 1994 to promote regional shellfish culture as a means to reduce the risk of extinction from overfishing and to promote marine resource conservation. The southeast region of Brazil has a very special coast, full of cut shorelines and many nearshore islands, most without urban pressure or polluting runoff. The region has many sheltered areas including bays and inlets, but also many open areas with greater circulation influenced by open ocean dynamics. This diverse coastal morphology, combined with strong oceanographic influences, results Among seventeen species of scallop found along the extensive 7,400 km Brazilian coastline, the lion’s paw scallop Nodipecten nodosus, the largest of all, has been identified as the best scallop candidate for mariculture in Brazil. This scallop can attain a shell length of up to 18 cm. It is commonly found along the southern coastline of Rio de Janeiro state in a depth range of 10-25 m, mainly affixed to hard substrates, usually rocks. It is occasionally also found on sandy sea bottoms in close proximity to island or mainland shorelines. The lion’s paw scallop is by far the most abundant scallop. The species has excellent attributes for domestication. It is relatively easy to manage using common scallop lantern net culture systems and husbandry techniques. Scallops grow fast in the warm, clean coastal waters of the southeastern coast of Brazil, reaching 80-100 mm shell length within 12 months of culture (Lovatelli et al. 2008; Sühnel et al. 2012). Current Status of Scallop Culture in Brazil Patricia Abelin, André L. De Araújo and Artur N. Rombenso The coastline of Isla Grande near Angra dos Reis, RJ, Brazil. An array of surface longlines that hold lantern nets for scallop culture. Juvenile lion’s paw scallops. Nodipecten nodosus broodstock.
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