Stern-Pirlot, Amanda and Wolff, Matthias ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7458-983X (2006) Population dynamics and fisheries potential of Anadara tuberculosa (Bivalvia: Arcidae) along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical, 54 (S1). pp. 87-99. DOI https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v54i1.26838.

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Abstract

The present study aims to describe the population dynamics and state of the fishery of the mud cockle Anadara tuberculosa (locally know as piangua) in three harvesting areas along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (Chomes, Purruja and Rincon) and to put the results in context with this species in other Costa Rican areas as well as with other Anadara spp. around the globe. The study is based on a five-month sampling period from October, 2003 through April, 2004 during which monthly length frequency measurements and tagging experiments were carried out. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters, K and L., (0.14 and 63.15, respectively) revealed a growth performance (phi'= 2.75) which is in the range of reported values for this family of bivalves, indicating the accuracy of these values. Estimated exploitation rates range from 0.62 (Rincon) to 0.76 (Purruja) and exceed sustainable levels at all study sites. The strong overharvesting in these areas, also mirrored by the low average harvested cockle sizes relative to less exploited areas of Costa Rica and elsewhere, is due to the relatively small clam populations in each fishing area, the easy accessibility and the high economic importance of the species to the local resource users. If conservation measures are not implemented it is probable that A. tuberculoso may follow its formerly abundant and bigger sister species, Anadara grandis (chucheca), on its way to local extinction.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	PA Not Applicable
Research affiliation:	Integrated Modelling > Resource Management
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	Yes
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v54i1.26838
ISSN:	0034-7744
Date Deposited:	03 Mar 2020 12:05
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2025 13:38
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/3526

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