Induction of spawning and
artificial incubation of eggs in the edible snail Pomacea urceus
(Muller)
I.W.
Ramnarine-2003
Aquaculture, 215(1-4) : 163-166
Abstract:
The neotropical freshwater gastropod Pomacea
urceus is amphibious, herbivorous and attains a size of 145 mm. The
snail fetches a high price of $US 5/kg, and current demand is met by
collection from the wild, leading to over-exploitation. This is a potential
aquaculture species, but there is the need for hatchery production of
juveniles, since collection of seedstock from the wild is difficult.
Wild-collected adult P. urceus were placed in 0.4 m2
concrete troughs filled with soil and water. Mating was induced by a
decrease in water level, and after mating, the snails burrowed into the
substratum where egg-laying occurred. The recently laid eggs were carefully
removed from the females and placed into darkened aquaria where the
temperature was maintained at 27±3 °C and the humidity was kept above 80%.
After an incubation period of 21 to 34 days, young crawling snails emerged.
Mean survivorship was 96%.