Falade, M.O. and Otarigho, B., 2013. Survival potential, fecundity and fertility of Biomphalaria pfeifferi (Krauss, 1848) during acclimatization in the laboratory. Zoology and Ecology, 23(2), pp.157-161.

Abstract

Survival potential, fecundity and fertility of Biomphalaria pfeifferi were investigated during the process of acclimatization in the laboratory. Thirty adult snails (average size 5?×?13?mm) were used in Experiment A (control; laboratory-bred snails) and B (acclimatizing snails from the wild). Both experiments aimed at monitoring survival and reproductive potential of snails were performed at room temperature (21–29?°C) for five weeks. The mean pH, conductivity, total dissolved solid, dissolved oxygen, water and room temperature were 7.77, 228?ps/cm, 121, 0.5?mg/L, 25.0 and 29.0?°C, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of eggs per egg-mass was 19.86?±?0.46 and 14.88?±?5.01, the number of eggs per snail was 53.26?±?10.34 and 38.51?±?10.03, the amount of egg-mass per snail was 2.68?±?0.04 and 2.48?±?1.09 in Experiments A and B, respectively. Results of the experiment indicate a significant difference (p?<?0.05) between fecundity, fertility and survival of B. pfeifferi in Experiments A and B. Experiment A did not produce a significant difference in all the parameters tested in contrast to Experiment B, which recorded a significant difference in all the parameters tested. The results obtained indicate that acclimatization in the laboratory affects the survival and reproductive potential of B. pfeifferi fetched from the wild