[Spatial pattern in larval distribution, settlement and growth of Crassostrea sikamea in Xiangshan Bay, Zhejiang Province, China].

The migration and settlement of oyster larvae significantly affect the distribution, recruitment, establishment and ecological services of oyster populations. We investigated the variations of Crassostrea sikamea larvae abundances between the two water layers and between the two experimental sites (seed bed and spawning bed) in Xiangshan Bay within a tidal cycle (9 sampling times), and explored the spatial patterns in larval settlement and spat growth at three intertidal zones (top, T; middle, M and bottom, B) of both experimental sites by a field settlement experiment. At the seed bed and spawning bed, oyster larvae abundance at the surface water significantly changed with sampling time.