<p> Very little information is available on the Hawaiian Oyster <i> Dendostrea sandvicensis</i> in regards to its biology and physiology. Efforts were made to better understand the active reproductive season of this oyster by studying the population located in He'eia fish pond in Kaneohe Bay, O`ahu. This study focused on the condition index (CI) and gonadal developmental stage trends, measured from monthly oyster tissue samples from January to December 2009. The relationship between CI and temperature was examined. Results suggest CI is not related to temperature. Further analysis defined a positive correlation for CI and temperature during summer but not in winter. Ranges in CI values were higher in summer than in winter. <i>D. sandvicensis </i> experience a tropical reproductive cycle, as trends related to the gonadal stage indicate. January to March is dominated by maturing gonads. From April to October there is a rise and then steady decline of empty gonads indicating an active reproduction season. From November to December a rise in mature gonads indicate readiness for reproduction and recovery. Empty gonads are present through out the year indicating reproduction happens throughout the year, and peaks in beginning of summer.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1550183 |
| Date | 11 February 2014 |
| Creators | Garriques, Daren |
| Publisher | University of Hawai'i at Hilo |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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