Abstract:
Oysters are nutritious and highly esteemed sea food throughout the world. The mass scale natural ava the oyster
in Puttalam lagoon suggesting suitability of the habitat for oyster culture. The study was ca popularize the culture
based fisheries of oysters for the sustainable utilization and management of oyster resource while popularizing it
as an alternative protein source among Sri Lankans. In this c seasonal variation of biochemical composition in
cultured and wild oyster; Crassostrea madrasensis Lagoon, Sri Lanka was determined. Biochemical
compositions and Percentage Edibility (PE) of culture Oyster were studied two stations of the Puttalam lagoon
during July 2014 to July 2015. Protein, moistu oil and ash were determined based on the AOAC (2000) official
methods and carbohydrate and dry ma were calculated based on the results. Monthly fluctuations of water quality
parameters such as temp salinity were also recorded at each station.
Seasonal percentage values of protein, lipid, ash, moisture, carbohydrate, PE and dry weight of culture oysters in
both stations ranged from 5.13%-10.03%, 0.88% - 2.93%, 0.82% - 3.76%, 81.43% - 91.16 8.04%, 2.10% - 23.12%
and 8.84% - 18.57 % respectively. The difference in protein content, moisture c weight and PE between wild and
cultured oysters was significant (p<0.05) and the considerable variati wild and cultured oysters. However,
between two sites a significant difference was not observed in lip ash content and carbohydrate content in oysters.
Mean protein content, dry weight and PE values of the species are high in both cultured populations ind
Puttalam lagoon could be a favored site for large -scale cultivation. PE of cultured oysters recorded
throughout the year with respect to wild oysters with its maximum PE values from December to March
The results obtained in this study suggest that the best harvesting period was fro m December to March f
oysters in Puttalam lagoon. Extensive cultures of oysters in the lagoon could be a solution to elimina
on natural oyster beds and facilitate environmentally sustainable aquaculture generating economic
coastal peopl
