Why investigate Spondylus?
We are currently investigating the ecology and population dynamics of the bivalve genus Spondylus, also known as “spiny oysters”. The shells are famous for their beauty among collectors worldwide. Visitors of Ecuador have surely seen the amazing shells, either found clean and polished entirely or the beautiful jewellery that is made out of it, both found widely distributed in shops and on local markets. Very few visitors are probably aware that these slow-growing animals faced a heavy fishery pressure during the last decade and are nowadays a more and more disappearing resource. The fishery on Spondylus is still not regulated and consequently stocks appear to be severely overexploited. A detailed study of the ecology and population dynamics of Spondylus species is therefore urgently required to provide the information necessary for a sustainable management and thus protection of this ecologically and economically valuable resource.
History
Belonging to the class of Bivalvia, the family Spondylidae (Gray, 1826) consists of only one genus: Spondylus (Linnaeus, 1758) with current estimates of different living species between 70 and 80, many of them under scientific revision. This family is closely related to the family Pectinidae (Scallops) with whom they share the complex eyes around the mantle and a relatively well developed nervous system. Spondylus is usually cemented to the substrate instead of using a byssus. Despite their abundance in the tropical oceans of the world, very little is known about basic biology and ecology of Spondylidae.
