Growth and fecundity of Lymnaea elodes (Gastropoda : Lymnaeidae) under laboratory conditions

Growth and fecundity of Lymnaea elodes were studied under controlled labora tory conditions. Snails maintained in groups of five showed less significan t growth (based on shell length) than snails maintained singly at 5 to 29 w eeks after the cultures were initiated. This study used newly hatched juven iles that were maintained in artificial spring water at 22 degrees C and fe d leaf lettuce ad libitum. Grouped snails fed either leaf lettuce, Tetramin fish food, or freshly killed Helisoma trivolvis snails (FKS) showed maxima l growth based on both shell length and body weight only when maintained an lettuce. Submaximal growth was attained on the FKS diet. Snails maintained on Tetramin grew better than those on FKS, but not as well as those on let tuce. Fecundity studies on mature snails maintained either singly or in gro ups of five on lettuce showed that egg laying was markedly greater at most data paints from snails maintained. singly. During the course of this study , only four of about 150 snails died in culture suggesting that this lymnae id is hardy and well suited for laboratory studies.