Shell Morphometrics and Some Biochemical Aspects of the Pearl Oyster Pinctada radiata (Leach 1814) in Relation to Different Salinity Levels Around Bahrain PDF

Keywords

pearl oysters, shell morphology, Bahrain

Abstract

Shell morphology of the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata (Leach 1814) collected from three different geographical areas on the north, east and west coast of Bahrain was analyzed. Muscle protein profiles and isozymes, using PAGE and SDS-PAGE, characteristics for these oysters were also studied. Substantial variation in shell morphometry was obtained with predominance of large-sized individuals (65-66, 75-80 mm) at both the north and the east coast, respectively, where the salinity levels were 40-42%. Consistently smaller pearl oysters (35-40 mm) prevailed on the west coast of Bahrain where salinity levels ranged from 50 to 60%. Some variations were observed among the phenotypic groups, only when PAGE and isozyme analyses were applied. In general, both approaches gave initially identical results with regard to the phylogenetic relationship of pearl oysters living in areas of differing salinities. SDS-PAGE gave no detectable differences among oysters from different sites.