Reproductive dynamics, biometrics and biochemical composition of the oyster crassostrea corteziensis (Hertlein, 1951) in the Pacific of Panama

Darío  Córdoba González

doi:10.48204/semillaeste.v7n1.11388

Submitted September 29, 2026

Published 2026-09-29

Artículos

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Revista Semilla del Este

Reproductive dynamics, biometrics and biochemical composition of the oyster crassostrea corteziensis (Hertlein, 1951) in the Pacific of Panama

Darío Córdoba González⁺⁻

DOI https://doi.org/10.48204/semillaeste.v7n1.11388

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DOI: 10.48204/semillaeste.v7n1.11388

Published: 2026-09-29

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Córdoba González, D. (2026). Reproductive dynamics, biometrics and biochemical composition of the oyster crassostrea corteziensis (Hertlein, 1951) in the Pacific of Panama. Revista Semilla Del Este, 7(1), 30–40. https://doi.org/10.48204/semillaeste.v7n1.11388

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study examines the reproductive dynamics, biometric relationships, and biochemical composition of the oyster Crassostrea corteziensis in the Panamanian Pacific. From February to December, specimens collected in Puerto Caimito were monitored using a suspended culture system at Naos Island. The results indicate that the species exhibits a continuous reproductive cycle with synchronous maturity peaks during the dry season (February–April) and a secondary phase during the rainy season (July–October). Shell growth in length was found to be more accelerated in juvenile stages during the dry season, coinciding with coastal upwelling and higher chlorophyll availability (0.91 mg/m³). Biochemical analysis identified the digestive gland-gonad and the adductor muscle as the primary storage centers for energy substrates (proteins and lipids), which are mobilized to support gametogenesis. Carbohydrate levels peaked in February (82.5% in the mantle) and decreased sharply during the March spawning period, confirming their role as a rapid energy source for gamete release. It is concluded that environmental fluctuations in temperature and salinity regulate energy storage efficiency and reproductive success for this species within the estuarine ecosystem of the Gulf of Panama.

References

Angel, C. (1972). Maduración gonádica y fijación de Crassostrea rhizophorae en una laguna hipersalina del Nororiente de Venezuela. Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, 23, 215-240.
Bacon, P. (1971). Studies on the biology and cultivation of the mangrove oyster in Trinidad with another shellfish resources. Tropical Science, 12, 265-278.
Barber, B. J., & Blake, N. J. (1981). Energy storage and utilization in relation to gametogenesis in Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 52, 121-134.
Bargenton, M. (1943). Modifications histologiques de la zone des gonades après la ponte chez Gryphaea angulata Lamk. Bulletin Biologique de la France et de la Belgique, 77, 97-103.
Batista, M., & Morales, L. (1992). Efecto de la luz en un modelo simplificado para la cuantificación del fitoplancton bentónico y su importancia sobre bivalvos marinos de valor comercial [Tesis de licenciatura, Universidad de Panamá]. 93 pp.
Bayne, B. L. (1976). Marine mussels: Their ecology and physiology. Cambridge University Press. 506 pp.
Bligh, E. G., & Dyer, W. F. (1959). A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37(8), 911-917.
D'Croz, L., Del Rosario, J. B., & Gómez, J. A. (1991). Upwelling and phytoplankton in the Bay of Panama. Revista de Biología Tropical, 39(2), 233-241.
Dinamani, P. (1974). Reproductive cycle and gonadal changes in the New Zealand rock oyster, Crassostrea glomerata. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 8(1), 39-65.
Dubois, M. K., Gilles, K. A., Hamilton, J. K., Rebers, P. A., & Smith, F. (1956). Colorimetric method for the determination of sugars and related substances. Analytical Chemistry, 28(3), 350-356.
Fay, C. N., & Pardure, G. (1983). Bay Scallop. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Fernández, N., & Mattio, V. N. (1987). Biochemical composition, condition index, and energy value of Ostrea puelchana, relationships with the reproductive cycle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 108(2), 113-126.
Forsberg, E. (1969). On the climatology, oceanography and fisheries of the Panama Bight. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Bulletin, 14(2), 49-109.
Gabbott, P. A. (1975). Storage cycles in marine bivalve molluscs: a hypothesis concerning the relationship between glycogen metabolism and gametogenesis. En H. Barnes (Ed.), Ninth European Marine Biology Symposium (pp. 191-211). Aberdeen University Press.
Gabbott, P. A. (1983). Development and seasonal metabolic activities in marine molluscs. En P. W. Hochachka (Ed.), The Mollusca, Vol 2 (pp. 165-217). Academic Press.
Giese, A. C. (1959). Comparative physiology: annual reproductive cycles of marine invertebrates. Annual Review of Physiology, 21, 547-576.
Giese, A. C. (1966). Lipids in the economy of marine invertebrates. Physiological Reviews, 46(2), 244-298.
Giese, A. C. (1967). Some methods for study of the biochemical constitution of marine invertebrates. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 5, 159-186.
Gómez, J. A. (1991). Inducción a la reproducción y cambios en la composición química en Pecten ziczac, acondicionados a los períodos de reproducción activa y reposo sexual de las poblaciones naturales [Tesis de maestría, Universidad de Oriente, Instituto de Oceanografía de Venezuela]. 80 pp.
Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1988). Ciclo anual de maduración sexual de la conchuela Argopecten circularis. Scientia, 3(1), 67-77.
Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1989a). Estudio del crecimiento en cautiverio y en forma natural de juveniles de conchuela Argopecten circularis (Informe final). CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 14 pp.
Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1989b). Análisis de los métodos utilizados en la determinación de proteína y carbohidratos en las conchuelas Argopecten circularis y Argopecten irradians. CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 1-29 pp.
Hopkins, A. E. (1937). Experimental observations on spawning, larval development and settling in the Olympia Oyster Ostrea lurida. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries, 48(23), 439-503.
Humason, G. L. (1972). Animal tissue techniques (3ra ed.). W. H. Freeman & Co. 149 pp.
Imai, T., & Sakai, S. (1961). Study of breeding of japanese oyster (Ostrea gigas Thunberg). Tohoku Journal of Agricultural Research, 12, 125-163.
Jørgensen, C. B. (1976). Growth efficiencies and factors controlling size in some mytilid bivalves, especially Mytilus edulis (L.): Review and interpretations. Ophelia, 15(2), 175-192.
Keen, A. M. (1971). Sea shells of tropical West America. Stanford University Press. 1064 pp.
Kennedy, A. V., & Battle, H. I. (1964). Cyclic changes in the gonad of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 42(2), 305-321.
Le Dantec, J. (1968). Écologie et reproduction de l'huître portugaise (Crassostrea angulata Lamarck) dans le bassin d'Arcachon et sur la rive gauche de la Gironde. Seconde Partie. Revue des Travaux de l'Institut des Pêches Maritimes, 32(3), 301-359.
Loosanoff, V. L. (1942). Seasonal gonadal changes in the adult oysters, Ostrea virginica, of Long Island Sound. The Biological Bulletin, 82(2), 195-206.
Mattox, N. T. (1949). Studies on the biology of the edible oyster, Ostrea rhizophorae Guilding, in Puerto Rico. Ecological Monographs, 19(4), 339-356.
Muñoz, E. (1984). Métodos para calcular la producción de la almeja Protothaca asperrima de la Bahía de Panamá. Conferencia en el III Encuentro Científico de Estudiantes de Biología, Universidad de Panamá.
Odum, E. P. (1968). Energy flow in ecosystems: A historical review. American Zoologist, 8(1), 11-18.
Odum, E. P. (1971). Environment, Power, and Society. Wiley. 331 pp.
Pratt, D. M., & Campbell, D. A. (1956). Environmental factors affecting growth in Venus mercenaria. Limnology and Oceanography, 1(1), 2-17.
Quayle, D. B. (1980). Ostras tropicales: Métodos de cultivo. CIID. 84 pp.
Ruíz, M. F. (1980). Ciclo gonádico de la Ostrea corteziensis. Memoria del 2º Simposio Latinoamericano de Acuicultura, Tomo II, 1231-1280.
Sáenz, B. A. (1965). El ostión antillano Crassostrea rhizophorae y su cultivo experimental en Cuba. Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras (Cuba), 6, 1-32.
Sastry, A. N. (1974). Pelecypoda: Reproduction. En A. C. Giese & J. S. Pearse (Eds.), Reproduction of Marine Invertebrates: Volume V (pp. 279-293). Academic Press.
Sastry, A. N. (1975). Physiology and ecology of reproduction in marine invertebrates. Physiological Zoology, 45, 46-47.
Stephen, D. (1980). The reproductive biology of the Indian oyster, Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston). II. Gametogenic cycle and biochemical levels. Aquaculture, 21(2), 147-153.
Strickland, J. D. H., & Parsons, T. R. (1972). A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin, 167, 310 pp.
Vélez, A. R. (1976). Crecimiento, edad y madurez sexual del ostión Crassostrea rhizophorae de la Bahía de Mochima. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de la Universidad de Oriente, 15(1), 65-72.
Vélez, A. R. (1977). Ciclo anual de reproducción del ostión Crassostrea rhizophorae (Guilding) de la Bahía de Mochima. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de la Universidad de Oriente, 16(1-2), 87-98.
Vélez, A. R., & Epifanio, C. E. (1981). Effects of temperature and ration on gametogenesis and growth in the tropical mussel Perna perna (L.). Aquaculture, 22, 21-26.
Villaláz, J. R., & Gómez, J. A. (1984). Efecto combinado de luz y temperatura sobre las tasas de crecimiento de Isochrysis aff. galbana (T-ISO) y Chaetoceros gracilis. CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 10 pp.
Wilson, B. R., & Hodgkin, E. P. (1967). A comparative account of the reproductive cycles of five species of marine mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the vicinity of Fremantle, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 18(2), 175-203.

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Darío Córdoba González, Invasive macro-mollusks in Lake Gatun , Revista Semilla del Este: Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Revista Semilla del Este

[1] Angel, C. (1972). Maduración gonádica y fijación de Crassostrea rhizophorae en una laguna hipersalina del Nororiente de Venezuela. Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, 23, 215-240.

[2] Bacon, P. (1971). Studies on the biology and cultivation of the mangrove oyster in Trinidad with another shellfish resources. Tropical Science, 12, 265-278.

[3] Barber, B. J., & Blake, N. J. (1981). Energy storage and utilization in relation to gametogenesis in Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 52, 121-134.

[4] Bargenton, M. (1943). Modifications histologiques de la zone des gonades après la ponte chez Gryphaea angulata Lamk. Bulletin Biologique de la France et de la Belgique, 77, 97-103.

[5] Batista, M., & Morales, L. (1992). Efecto de la luz en un modelo simplificado para la cuantificación del fitoplancton bentónico y su importancia sobre bivalvos marinos de valor comercial [Tesis de licenciatura, Universidad de Panamá]. 93 pp.

[6] Bayne, B. L. (1976). Marine mussels: Their ecology and physiology. Cambridge University Press. 506 pp.

[7] Bligh, E. G., & Dyer, W. F. (1959). A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37(8), 911-917.

[8] D'Croz, L., Del Rosario, J. B., & Gómez, J. A. (1991). Upwelling and phytoplankton in the Bay of Panama. Revista de Biología Tropical, 39(2), 233-241.

[9] Dinamani, P. (1974). Reproductive cycle and gonadal changes in the New Zealand rock oyster, Crassostrea glomerata. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 8(1), 39-65.

[10] Dubois, M. K., Gilles, K. A., Hamilton, J. K., Rebers, P. A., & Smith, F. (1956). Colorimetric method for the determination of sugars and related substances. Analytical Chemistry, 28(3), 350-356.

[11] Fay, C. N., & Pardure, G. (1983). Bay Scallop. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[12] Fernández, N., & Mattio, V. N. (1987). Biochemical composition, condition index, and energy value of Ostrea puelchana, relationships with the reproductive cycle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 108(2), 113-126.

[13] Forsberg, E. (1969). On the climatology, oceanography and fisheries of the Panama Bight. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Bulletin, 14(2), 49-109.

[14] Gabbott, P. A. (1975). Storage cycles in marine bivalve molluscs: a hypothesis concerning the relationship between glycogen metabolism and gametogenesis. En H. Barnes (Ed.), Ninth European Marine Biology Symposium (pp. 191-211). Aberdeen University Press.

[15] Gabbott, P. A. (1983). Development and seasonal metabolic activities in marine molluscs. En P. W. Hochachka (Ed.), The Mollusca, Vol 2 (pp. 165-217). Academic Press.

[16] Giese, A. C. (1959). Comparative physiology: annual reproductive cycles of marine invertebrates. Annual Review of Physiology, 21, 547-576.

[17] Giese, A. C. (1966). Lipids in the economy of marine invertebrates. Physiological Reviews, 46(2), 244-298.

[18] Giese, A. C. (1967). Some methods for study of the biochemical constitution of marine invertebrates. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 5, 159-186.

[19] Gómez, J. A. (1991). Inducción a la reproducción y cambios en la composición química en Pecten ziczac, acondicionados a los períodos de reproducción activa y reposo sexual de las poblaciones naturales [Tesis de maestría, Universidad de Oriente, Instituto de Oceanografía de Venezuela]. 80 pp.

[20] Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1988). Ciclo anual de maduración sexual de la conchuela Argopecten circularis. Scientia, 3(1), 67-77.

[21] Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1989a). Estudio del crecimiento en cautiverio y en forma natural de juveniles de conchuela Argopecten circularis (Informe final). CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 14 pp.

[22] Gómez, J. A., & Villaláz, J. R. (1989b). Análisis de los métodos utilizados en la determinación de proteína y carbohidratos en las conchuelas Argopecten circularis y Argopecten irradians. CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 1-29 pp.

[23] Hopkins, A. E. (1937). Experimental observations on spawning, larval development and settling in the Olympia Oyster Ostrea lurida. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries, 48(23), 439-503.

[24] Humason, G. L. (1972). Animal tissue techniques (3ra ed.). W. H. Freeman & Co. 149 pp.

[25] Imai, T., & Sakai, S. (1961). Study of breeding of japanese oyster (Ostrea gigas Thunberg). Tohoku Journal of Agricultural Research, 12, 125-163.

[26] Jørgensen, C. B. (1976). Growth efficiencies and factors controlling size in some mytilid bivalves, especially Mytilus edulis (L.): Review and interpretations. Ophelia, 15(2), 175-192.

[27] Keen, A. M. (1971). Sea shells of tropical West America. Stanford University Press. 1064 pp.

[28] Kennedy, A. V., & Battle, H. I. (1964). Cyclic changes in the gonad of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 42(2), 305-321.

[29] Le Dantec, J. (1968). Écologie et reproduction de l'huître portugaise (Crassostrea angulata Lamarck) dans le bassin d'Arcachon et sur la rive gauche de la Gironde. Seconde Partie. Revue des Travaux de l'Institut des Pêches Maritimes, 32(3), 301-359.

[30] Loosanoff, V. L. (1942). Seasonal gonadal changes in the adult oysters, Ostrea virginica, of Long Island Sound. The Biological Bulletin, 82(2), 195-206.

[31] Mattox, N. T. (1949). Studies on the biology of the edible oyster, Ostrea rhizophorae Guilding, in Puerto Rico. Ecological Monographs, 19(4), 339-356.

[32] Muñoz, E. (1984). Métodos para calcular la producción de la almeja Protothaca asperrima de la Bahía de Panamá. Conferencia en el III Encuentro Científico de Estudiantes de Biología, Universidad de Panamá.

[33] Odum, E. P. (1968). Energy flow in ecosystems: A historical review. American Zoologist, 8(1), 11-18.

[34] Odum, E. P. (1971). Environment, Power, and Society. Wiley. 331 pp.

[35] Pratt, D. M., & Campbell, D. A. (1956). Environmental factors affecting growth in Venus mercenaria. Limnology and Oceanography, 1(1), 2-17.

[36] Quayle, D. B. (1980). Ostras tropicales: Métodos de cultivo. CIID. 84 pp.

[37] Ruíz, M. F. (1980). Ciclo gonádico de la Ostrea corteziensis. Memoria del 2º Simposio Latinoamericano de Acuicultura, Tomo II, 1231-1280.

[38] Sáenz, B. A. (1965). El ostión antillano Crassostrea rhizophorae y su cultivo experimental en Cuba. Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras (Cuba), 6, 1-32.

[39] Sastry, A. N. (1974). Pelecypoda: Reproduction. En A. C. Giese & J. S. Pearse (Eds.), Reproduction of Marine Invertebrates: Volume V (pp. 279-293). Academic Press.

[40] Sastry, A. N. (1975). Physiology and ecology of reproduction in marine invertebrates. Physiological Zoology, 45, 46-47.

[41] Stephen, D. (1980). The reproductive biology of the Indian oyster, Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston). II. Gametogenic cycle and biochemical levels. Aquaculture, 21(2), 147-153.

[42] Strickland, J. D. H., & Parsons, T. R. (1972). A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin, 167, 310 pp.

[43] Vélez, A. R. (1976). Crecimiento, edad y madurez sexual del ostión Crassostrea rhizophorae de la Bahía de Mochima. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de la Universidad de Oriente, 15(1), 65-72.

[44] Vélez, A. R. (1977). Ciclo anual de reproducción del ostión Crassostrea rhizophorae (Guilding) de la Bahía de Mochima. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de la Universidad de Oriente, 16(1-2), 87-98.

[45] Vélez, A. R., & Epifanio, C. E. (1981). Effects of temperature and ration on gametogenesis and growth in the tropical mussel Perna perna (L.). Aquaculture, 22, 21-26.

[46] Villaláz, J. R., & Gómez, J. A. (1984). Efecto combinado de luz y temperatura sobre las tasas de crecimiento de Isochrysis aff. galbana (T-ISO) y Chaetoceros gracilis. CIDCYT, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá. 10 pp.

[47] Wilson, B. R., & Hodgkin, E. P. (1967). A comparative account of the reproductive cycles of five species of marine mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the vicinity of Fremantle, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 18(2), 175-203.

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