Optimizing Laboratory Culture Conditions for Physa acuta Snails

Cheyenne Smith, Joel Hickey, Jason Beldon, Scott McMurry

Abstract


Heavy metals have been a part of our aquatic environment for many decades. To test toxic effects on the snail Physa acuta, we had to refine methods for culturing them in the lab. Thus, we conducted a short feeding study and crowding study to explore the effects of varying amounts of food and different tank populations on snail growth rate. We determined the optimal amount of food per snail to be 30 mg. We were unable to detect a significant difference between tanks with 3 and 5 snails and both groups continue growing over the 18-day trial.

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References


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