Effect of Amino Acid Imbalance in Artificial Diets on Food Choice and Feeding Rates in Two Species of Terrestrial Snails, Cepaea Nemoralis and Achatina Fulica

Feed preferences and feeding behaviour of two species of African giant land snails

“…This result reflect genetic differences in food preference and feeding propensity with A. marginata snails exhibiting higher propensity to feed, greater tolerance of feeding stuffs and/or a wider variety of feeding materials compared to A. achatina. Carefoot and Switzer-Dunlap (1989) reported stronger aversive tendencies to methionine in A. fulica compared to Cepaea nemoralis when both snails were fed diets having amino acid imbalance (excesses of methionine). Other studies that reported genotypic differences in feed preferences of land snails include El- Deep et al (1996), Tadros et al (2001), and Shahawy et al (2008).…”

“…The versatile taste of land snails is an important adaptive feature in the wild however, for rapid growth and high returns in farmed species, adequate nutrition is very important. There are species specific nutrient requirements which cannot be met by a generalist approach and genetic differences between and within species in nutrient requirements are well documented (Carefoot and Switzer-Dunlap, 1989). Farmed snails will perform best if the most preferred feed materials are provided at the optimal period of feed intake.…”

Preferencias y comportamiento alimentario de dos especies de Caracoles Terrestres Gigantes Africanos

“…This result reflect genetic differences in food preference and feeding propensity with A. marginata snails exhibiting higher propensity to feed, greater tolerance of feeding stuffs and/or a wider variety of feeding materials compared to A. achatina. Carefoot and Switzer-Dunlap (1989) reported stronger aversive tendencies to methionine in A.…”