Protease Enzyme Reactability Effect of Pearl Oyster (Pinctada maxima) Flesh Shell Growth at Different Water Temperature and Salinity

Shell growth of pearl oyster is affected by the availability of nacreous liquid containing calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is nearly similar to mucus from enzymatic metabolism product in protein digestion. This study was aimed at observing the protease enzyme reactability and its effect on the survival and growth rate of the pearl oyster seeds at different water temperature and salinity conditions. It was carried out on March 6th – May 7th, 2015, at Laboratory of Marine Bio-industry Technical Implementation Unit, Research Centre for Oseanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences in Lombok. CaCO3 concentration was analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) to know the reactability of protease enzyme and the relationship between CaCO3 content and shell growth. ANOVA indicated that larval survival at spat phase cultured in the media of different temperature-salinity interaction showed different effect (P<0.05). Based on Honest Significant Difference test, spat survival at the treatment of tempersture-salinity interaction II (28±0.5ºC and 32±1ppt) was the best. High spat survival and growth in treatment II were supported by the reactability of protease enzyme and higher CaCO3, 0.0518 μmol/mL-min-1(unit) and 98.873 ±0.04% than those of other treatments. In addition, water quality of the culture media was also discussed in this paper. International Journal of Biosciences, Vol. 9, No. 1. Hal. 124-137 ISSN 2220-6655