Biological control of the invasive snail species Melanoides tuberculata and Tarebia granifera in Zaporizka Nuclear Power Plant cooling pond

Abstract

Abundance and biomass of the invasive thiarid snails such as Melanoides tuberculata (Muller, 1774) and Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) were studied in conditions of the cooling pond of Zaporizka NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) in autumn, 2017. The total biomass of M. tuberculata and T. granifera averaged 12.39 g/m 2 in the cooling pond and 177.69 g/m 2 in the upstream channel. In order to resolve the problem of snail foulings, an attempt was undertaken by means of introduction of such snail-feeding predatory species as black carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus (Richardson, 1846) and Anentome helena (von dem Busch, 1847). As shown by the aquarium experiment, the level of thiarids consumption by the hostile snail declines in the presence of tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852) living in Zaporizka NPP’ сooling pond, as its fecal pellets are the additional food for A. helena . Taking into account the literature data, results of the model experiment and especial conditions of constructions and water bodies within the thermal structure of NPP, the introduction of the A. helena snail was proposed for biological control of the invasive species ( M. tuberculata and T. granifera ) primarily inside of pipes, and the fish predatory species was preferably provided for the cooling pond and upstream channel of Zaporizka Nuclear Power Plant.