Molluscs and echinoderms aquaculture : biological aspects, current status, technical progress and future perspectives for the most promising species in Italy

Shellfish aquaculture is a widespread activity in the Italian Peninsula. However, only two bivalve species are mainly cultured along the coastline of that country: the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. By contrast, just a few other mollusc species of commercial interest are scarcely reared at a small-scale level. In this paper, after an analysis of the current status of Italian shellfish production, the potential for culturing several different invertebrate species (i.e. the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis, the grooved carpet shell Ruditapes decussatus, the razor clams Ensis minor and Solen marginatus, the cephalopod Octopus vulgaris, and the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus) in this country is reported and discussed. In addition, a detailed overview of the progress made in aquacultural techniques for these species in the Mediterranean basin is presented, highlighting the most relevant bottlenecks and the way forward to shift from the experimental phase to the aquaculture phase. Finally, an outlook of the main economic and environmental benefits arising from these shellfish culture practices is also given.