A Detailed Explanation of How River Snails Reproduce and Their Reproductive Process

The river snail is a mollusk distributed in freshwater lakes, reservoirs, rice paddies, ponds and ditches, and is also often used as food. So how do river snails reproduce?

1. Living habits of river snails

River snails are animals of the family Viviparidae and the genus Cipangopaludina. They are cold-tolerant but fear heat, and their most suitable growth temperature is 25°C.

River snails have omnivorous feeding habits. In the natural environment, they mainly eat tender stems and leaves of aquatic plants, algae, bacteria and organic debris, and also filter-feed on plankton. They like to be active and feed at night.

River snails are very sensitive to dissolved oxygen in water. When the dissolved oxygen content in water drops to 3.5 mg/L, their feeding is poor; at 1.5 mg/L, they begin to die.

2. How do river snails reproduce?

River snails reproduce offspring by mating and laying eggs. The mature eggs of the river snail meet sperm at the top of the oviduct and are fertilized. The fertilized eggs undergo embryonic development in the mother snail's uterus, and after development is complete, the young can be produced in batches. They generally begin to reproduce from March to April each year.

3. How to farm river snails

1. Seed selection

Choose live brood snails with light brown shell color, intact shells, and no defects or sand holes.

2. Fertilization

3~4d before stocking river snails, first put an appropriate amount of already decomposed organic fertilizer into the pond, such as chicken, duck, cow and pig manure, which is beneficial to the growth of river snails and the supply of food and bait.

3. Stocking

After buying brood snails, they should be put into the pond as soon as possible. Locally, around Qingming Festival each year, when the air temperature remains above 20°C and the pond water temperature remains above 15°C, the snail seeds can be stocked.

4. Management

During the growth period of river snails, keep the pond water fresh and lively, and feed feed on time. The rapid growth cycle of river snails is 4 months. From May to September each year, they grow and develop fastest, and the yield is also the highest.