Growth and Mortality Rates of Cornu aspersum: Organic Snail Culture System, Black Sea Region

Abstract

The study was aimed to examine a snail organic culture system and describe the cultivation properties of Cornu aspersum. The environmental parameters of the culture system and their effects on the growth and mortality rates of C. aspersum were determined between November 2014-October 2015. Snails were fed Spinacia sp. (spinach), Urtica sp. (nettles), Brassica oleracea sp (cabbage) and formulated diet. The feeding and growth rates increased with increasing temperature. Shell height growth rate was the highest in spring while the live weight growth rate was the highest in summer. Mortality rate of the baby snail was higher between November 2014 and May 2015 due to stress conditions such as handling and varying temperatures during their first stages of life. High mortality observed in adults could be associated with the spawning activity of the matured snails that caused physiological exhaustion. The result showed that the best culture cycle for C. aspersum was from spring to autumn in Black Sea region and in order to prevent postreproductive mortality, snails reached to marketable size should be harvested.