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The presence of boring polychaetes of the family Spionidae in the lagoon of Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, constitutes a risk for any oyster commercial farm since they might reduce the quality of the final product. From February to May 2006, 2000 Crassostrea gigas oysters (initial length and weight of 11.25 ± 1.55 mm and 0.2023 ± 0.07 g, respectively) were reared in the lagoon. The percentage of infestation and total number of spionids (intensity) extracted from the valves were measured weekly. In addition, oyster growth and water quality were recorded and their relation with the number of polychaete was analyzed. The infestation started at the seventh culture week (March), and the initial percentage of infestation was high (60%) and increased up to 100 % from the tenth week. The intensity increased gradually up to a mean number of 8.7 polychaetes per host shell in the last week. There was a statistically significant relationship (p<0.05) between the intensity and the dissolved oxygen (r=0.7453), and between the intensity and the total length of the oyster (r=0.9206). The results show that mudworm initial settling is rapid. Possible causes for the mudworm presence in the culture site are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies on the culture of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas have been carried out since 1997 in the lagoon of Barra de Navidad (Jalisco, México). The presence of mud blisters in the oyster inner valves caused by shell-boring polychaetes has represented one of the main culture problems. Boccardia sp. (Polychaete: Spionidae) was identified from the mud blisters of 60 oysters. Despite the commercial significance of this organism to the oyster culture, there is a lack of information about its impact over the Mexican shellfish industry. This paper represents the first report on the presence of this worm in an oyster culture facility located at the mid coast of the Mexican Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]