Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.2478/cjf-2021-0012
GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF Planorbarius corneus (Linnaeus 1758) IN LABORATORY CONDITIONS
Neda Mažuran
; Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Division of Biology, Department of Zoology, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Kovačević
Abstract
This study presents the results of observation on growth and reproduction of Planorbarius corneus (Linnaeus 1758) (Gastropoda, Pulmonata) over the course of several years of continuous rearing in the laboratory in order to use them as test organisms for toxicity testing of chemicals. Some growth and reproduction features (shell diameter increase, fecundity, hatching time and rate, age at first reproduction, juvenile survival), which could provide more information for culturing P. corneus in the laboratory, are presented. The quantitative results of growth and reproduction in laboratory conditions were obtained: heterogenous growth varied between 0.1 mm and 5.3 mm in individual snails, production of 0.6 egg masses per snail/day and 11 eggs per snail/day. A statistically significant negative correlation between initial snail size and growth was noticed. In the second part of the experiment, the reproductive output of 4 isolated snails was compared to that of permanently grouped snails. As a result, 2-fold decreased growth and 4-fold decreased reproductive output in the progeny of isolated animals was noticed.
Keywords
laboratory culture; egg production; growth dynamics; progeny performance of isolated snails
Hrčak ID:
261454
URI
Publication date:
3.9.2021.
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