Effects of food availability and age on the reproductive effort of the apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck)(Gastropoda: Ampullariidae).

Abstract

The effects of food availability and age on the reproductive traits of Pomacea canaliculata were determined in snails fed at three food levels under laboratory conditions (14L:10D; 25°C). In males, copulation frequency tended to increase with age, while food availability did not affect copulation frequency. In females, spawn production was lower in food-limited conditions, but current or weight-specific reproductive effort (RE) did not differ among food levels. The weight-specific RE and spawn frequency of the well-fed females decreased with age, but their current RE increased with age.