The Mangrove cockle (Anadara tuberculosa) is highly exploited artisanal from Central America to Peru. Exploitation of this species is carried out by direct collection from the sediments of the manglar, and the only regulation is the size, which is not respected on many occasions. To reduce the exploitation pressure on this species in Ecuador, a proposal for captive cultivation in the mangrove is being made, with seed produced in the laboratory. Three cultivation systems were tested in the field.
Submerged (S) that is, tied to a reed suspended in the water and attached to floats or balls, which allows the shells to always remain submerged; Semi-Buried (SB) the organisms are planted in containers semi-embedded in the mud, which allows them to bury themselves and come to the surface; and Semi-Submerged (SS) the lanterns are tied to the mangroves or reeds between them and are covered with water at high tide, but are uncovered at low tide. Seeds of 8 mm were placed in plastic boxes and these in turn in lanterns, which were suspended in the S and SS treatments. For SB, baskets with perforated lids were used.
The growth results were apparently similar in average size, showing 1.8 to 2.4 mm/month in length, throughout 14 months of growth, reaching 40 mm after 13 months. Growth was faster in the earlier months. But indicate that in S the boxes and lanterns are covered with algae and the shells with many biofoulings that hinders their feeding and affects their growth, so cleaning maintenance must be constant. In SB the loss of these baskets due to anthropogenic intervention was a problem and the mortality of organisms was high, probably due to limited water recirculation and sediment renewal. In SS the systems remained cleaner, with fewer predators and fewer biofoulings. Therefore, less maintenance and higher survival.
The SS system proved to be more efficient for the growth and grow-out of A. tuberculosa. The commercial investment in the development of the crop could favor the economy, representing a significant income for the communities around the entire Ecuadorian coasts, and the repopulation of the wild communities, by contributing gametes to the water, since many animals have matured during cultivation.