Morphometric Study of the Black-Lip Pearl Oyster, Pinctada margaritifera from North Sulawesi Waters, Indonesia

Abstract

The marine waters of North Sulawesi province cover 314,983 km2 and have a 1,837-kilometer coastline, with a high level of marine life. The black-lip pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, with the local name "Bia Kapi-Kapi," is one of the aquatic biotas found there, but information on this population is still scarce. The need for pearl oysters aquaculture still comes from natural catches, exploitation is increasing, and the population is threatened with extinction. Morphometric studies can be used to estimate the potential of organisms and resource management, having an important role in the survival of organisms in their habitat.

This study aims to analyze the morphometric of P. margaritifera from North Sulawesi waters. The biometric parameters observed were shell length (SL), shell width (SW), and shell thickness (ST) measured using Digital Vernier Calipers; and total weight (TW), wet meat weight (WMW), and shell weight (Sw) were obtained using Ohaus digital scales. Quantitatively, this research can be used to assess the availability of pearl oyster stocks in North Sulawesi waters.

Medium-sized shells ranging from 8 to 11 cm in length (43.52%) dominated the size of P. margaritifera, with an average length of 8.72 cm. The oysters are still in the process of growing, according to this record. When all shell dimensions were taken into account, the biometric relationship of P. margaritifera from North Sulawesi waters revealed a very strong correlation. There is a negative allometric growth in this outcome.