Abstract
In mid Adriatic Sea the common sea snail is the habitual snail eaten, but over the years fishermen started to capture also the long sea snail, a possible alternative for human consumption. This study aims to compare the quality traits of the edible fraction in the common and long sea snails. In this study, common and long sea snail samples were provided by fishermen in November 2018 and March 2019. Total weight (meat and shell), fractions of meat and shell (after having extracted the edible part), fatty acid, elements in meat, and calcium content in shells were determined. Meat quality traits showed high nutritional value without significant differences between the two species. The fatty acid profile showed n3/n6 ratio significantly different both considering the season of sampling (November: 4.1; March: 2.38) and the species of sea snail (common: 4.98; long: 2.86). The long species showed a higher yield in the total body and calcium content concentrations. However, the long sea snail showed 50% lower meat yield compared with the common sea snail. In conclusion, the long sea snail can be used as an alternative to the common sea snail for human consumption.
Highlights
Along the coasts of the mid-Italian Adriatic Sea of Emilia Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise, the common sea snail (Nassarius mutabilis) is considered the most important target species among marine snails and is appreciated for traditional gastronomic dishes, known as “tiny snail”(“bomboletto” or “chiocciolino” in Italian)
Sea snail samples belonging to the common (N. mutabilis) and long (H. reticulata) species were provided by fishermen catching within three miles from the seashore, along the coast of San Benedetto del Tronto at two different catching times in the first decades of November 2018 and March 2019
The meat yield was double in the common compared to the long one whereas the shell yield was heavier in the long sea snail
Summary
Along the coasts of the mid-Italian Adriatic Sea of Emilia Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise, the common sea snail (Nassarius mutabilis) is considered the most important target species among marine snails and is appreciated for traditional gastronomic dishes, known as “tiny snail”(“bomboletto” or “chiocciolino” in Italian). Along the coasts of the mid-Italian Adriatic Sea of Emilia Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise, the common sea snail (Nassarius mutabilis) is considered the most important target species among marine snails and is appreciated for traditional gastronomic dishes, known as “tiny snail”. On the Mediterranean coasts, cases of the marine snails showed high rates of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential in preventing disorders and cardiovascular diseases [1]. Since the 1950s, the sea snail has been harvested by artisanal fishery using trawls and common cuttlefish traps. It is carried out using a basket trap called “nassino,” from the beginning of autumn to the end of spring. Fishermen are recording an increase in the capture of another sea snail species, called the long sea
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