DEVELOPMENT OF HATCHERY TECHNIQUES FOR THE EDIBLE HAWAIIAN LIMPET CELLANA SANDWICENSIS

HAWAII HAS SEVERAL SPECIES OF EDIBLE MARINE LIMPETS CALLED OPIHI. THEY ARE ENDEMIC TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND ARE HIGHLY PRIZED DELICACY SERVED AT SPECIAL OCCASIONS. THE NATURAL POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN DRASTICALLY REDUCED BY OVERFISHING, AND A ONCE THRIVING COMMERCIAL FISHERY HAS ALL BUT VANISHED. ROYAL HAWAIIAN SEA FARMS PROPOSES TO DEVELOP MASS SPAWNING AND SETTLING TECHNIQUES, THE FIRST STEPS NECESSARY TO REALIZE LARGE LAND BASED AQUACULTURE OF OPIHI. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL EVALUATE FOUR METHODS TO STIMULATE SPAWNING AND FOUR TECHNIQUES TO INDUCE SETTLING AND METAMORPHOSIS. BECAUSE THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF OPIHI IS VERY SIMILAR TO ABALONE, PROVEN COMMERCIAL ABALONE HATCHERY TECHNIQUES SHOULD BE APPLICABLE TO OPIHI. SIMULATION OF NATURAL LUNAR, TIDAL, AND SEASONAL REPRODUCTIVE CUES WILL MAKE CAPTIVE SPAWNING ON A LARGE SCALE POSSIBLE, AND THE ADDED EFFECT OF UV IRRADIATION AND SEROTONIN INJECTIONS, SO SUCCESSFUL WITH OTHER MOLLUSKS, WILL LIKELY RESULT IN INCREASED EFFICIENCY. OPIHI REQUIRE SUBSTRATES WITH BIOFILMS TO SETTLE. VARIOUS TYPES OF NATURAL BIOFILMS FROM DIFFERENT WATER SOURCES, AS WELL AS SOME PRODUCED FROM LABORATORY DIATOM MONOCULTURES WILL BE TESTED AS SETTLING INDUCERS ALONG WITH SOME PROMISING CHEMICAL INDUCERS, SUCH AS GABA AND ELEVATED POTASSIUM LEVELS.