The effects of different water temperatures on survival and growth rate of juvenile invasive apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1822) under controlled environment

Abstract

Invasive apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata is one of the major mollusc pests affecting rice production in Malaysia. This pest not only gives fatal effects to rice but also decreases the water quality in the ecosystem due to the use of pesticides to control it. With the unpredictable changes on global climatic in Malaysia, it is important to have knowledge on the effect of water temperature on growth and survival rate of P. canaliculata in water bodies, in order to avoid loss in paddy field and its adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. Water temperature is one of the most important environmental factors influencing the survival, growth rate, reproduction and behaviour of freshwater snails. The aim of this study is to evaluate the growth and survival rate of juvenile P. canaliculata at different temperature regimes. Growth and survival of juvenile P. canaliculata were evaluated at different constant water temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35°C). Our findings show, at 30° C the growth rate of P. canaliculata is higher compared with the other temperatures, however had low survival rate. Meanwhile, at room temperature (21 - 24°C), a higher survival rate (100%) was recorded. The results showed that different water temperatures affect the growth and survival rate of P. canaliculata and it is an important indicator for predicting and understanding the changes of water temperature when controlling this pest.