A new additive to the artificial culture medium for freshwater bivalve culture in vitro

Author(s)

Lima, Ricardo Cunha ^[1] ; Avelar, Wagner E. P. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] USP, Lab Malacol, Dept Biol, Fac Philosophy Sci & Letters Ribeirao Preto FFCLR, BR-14040901 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INVERTEBRATE REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT; v. 54, n. 2, p. 89-94, SEP 2010.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

The development of host fish techniques (in vivo) at the beginning of the 20th century, and the improvement of artificial culture media for in vitro culture of bivalves, provided an opportunity to identify the nutritional requirements needed to complete the life cycle of threatened freshwater bivalves. A freeze-dried extract of lambari, a Brazilian Tetra (Astyanax altiparanae), was used as an additive to the artificial culture medium M199 (Sigma (R)) to try to improve the survival of glochidia and the metamorphosis of Diplodon rotundus gratus and D. greeffeanus. We adjusted the pH of the culture medium to 6.8, the same value recorded at the collecting site of the bivalves. Glochidia were kept in an incubator at 18 degrees C. 40% of D. rotundus gratus glochidia survived, and 20% reached metamorphosis after 22 days of incubation. For D. greeffeanus 50% of the glochidia survived with 15% undergoing metamorphosis after 22 days of incubation. These results suggest an increase in the post-metamorphic survival with the use of the medium M199 supplemented with the fish extract, with a survival percentage of 75% after 30 days at the juvenile stage. Therefore, this constitutes an effective process in the preparation of in vitro cultures for freshwater mussels, particularly for D. rotundus gratus and D. greeffeanus. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 06/04658-7 - In vitro glochid culture of endangered freshwater bivalves of São Paulo State
• Grantee: Wagner Eustaquio Paiva Avelar
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants