OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR LARVAL REARING OF SPOTTED BABYLON SNAIL (Babylonia areolata LINK 1807)

Abstract

The spotted babylon snail (Babylonia areolata Link 1807) is a new commercial gastropod that has been cultured and consumed widespread throughout Asia. In recent years, market demand for this snail has increased, causing a reduction in wild populations and shortage of seed stock to support its aquaculture industry. A large quantity of quality spotted babylon snail larvae should be produced artificially in captivity to support the increasing demand. The optimal conditions for spotted babylon snail larvae have been studied. A salinity level at 30-34 ppt and stocking density for spotted babylon snail larvae of 300 larvae L-1 is recommended for high growth and survival rates. During the larval rearing period, rotifer should be added with phytoplankton for feeding on the 6th day after hatching to increase growth and survival rates of the larvae.