AJTMH ASTMH MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: astmh@astmh.org
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 15(4), 1966, pp. 614-617
Copyright © 1966 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ritchie, L. S.
Right arrow Articles by Rosa-Amador, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ritchie, L. S.
Right arrow Articles by Rosa-Amador, R.

Biological Potentials of Australorbis Glabratus: Life Span and Reproduction

Lawrence S. Ritchie, Alfred Hernandez* AND Ricardo Rosa-Amador
U.S. Army Tropical Research Medical Laboratory, Fort Brooke, San Juan, Puerto Rico

When Australorbis glabratus snails were reared singly from hatching in water-glass aquaria the life span was observed to be about 18 months and the reproductive span was 15–16 months. When 2 or 5 snails were cultured in battery jars with 4 liters of continuously changing water, the life and reproductive spans were, respectively, 6 and 5 months for 2 snails per jar and 8 and 7 months for 5 snails per jar. However, the total number of eggs exceeded that of the water-glass aquaria.

Egg production figures for snails reared singly were 0.6 clutch per snail per day, 38 eggs per clutch, and 23 eggs per snail per day. When 2 snails were maintained per battery jar, the corresponding figures were 1.7 clutches per snail per day, 50 eggs per clutch, and 85 eggs per snail per day; with 5 snails per jar the figures were 1.4 clutches per snail per day, 47 eggs per clutch, and 66 eggs per snail per day. On the basis of the last set of figures the reproductive potential of A. glabratus was about 14,000 eggs.

At temperatures ranging from 22–24°C, the incubation period ranged from 7–14 days with a peak at 8–9 days.

Interrelated with varying environmental conditions, there appears to be an inverse relationship between the rate of egg production and the reproductive span of A. glabratus. Under optimal conditions the reproductive potential was exhausted in 5 months, whereas under less favorable conditions egg output was reduced and the reproductive and life spans extended.


* Captain, MSC, U.S.A.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1966 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.