The breeding and complete development of fresh water snail, Lymnaea acuminata, was observed. The development completed in eleven days. All the external features were observed from third day. During third day heart beats started and the rudiments of larval kidney appeared. All these organs show differentiation and increase in size with embryo. The shell development starts from third day onwards. Hatching of egg took place on 11th day by mechanical means. The young ones were having all system like adult except gonad. Age-length relationship was established. It was found that it showed perfect positive relationship between age and total length of embryo. Kn value also supports the above observations. The r = 0.98, Kn = 0.98 and regression equation y = 31.49 + 23.08 x. Article Citation: Borale RP and Ahirrao KD. Studies on development of Lymnaea acuminata with respect to age-length relationship and relative condition factor (Kn) Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059. Full Text: http://janimalsciences.com/documents/AS0009.pdf

1. JournalofResearchinAnimalSciences
Studies on development of Lymnaea acuminata with respect to age-length
relationship and relative condition factor (Kn)
ABSTRACT:
The breeding and complete development of fresh water snail,
Lymnaea acuminata, was observed. The development completed in eleven days. All
the external features were observed from third day. During third day heart beats
started and the rudiments of larval kidney appeared. All these organs show
differentiation and increase in size with embryo. The shell development starts from
third day onwards. Hatching of egg took place on 11th
day by mechanical means. The
young ones were having all system like adult except gonad. Age-length relationship
was established. It was found that it showed perfect positive relationship between
age and total length of embryo. Kn value also supports the above observations.
The r = 0.98, Kn = 0.98 and regression equation y = 31.49 + 23.08 x.
055-059 | JRAS | 2013 | Vol 1 | No 2
This article is governed by the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/2.0), which gives permission for unrestricted use, non-commercial, distribution and
reproduction in all medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
www.janimalsciences.com
Journal of Research in
Animal Sciences
An International
Scientific Research Journal
Authors:
Borale RP and
Ahirrao KD.
Institution:
Jaihind ET’s Z. B. Patil
College, Dhule (MS)
424 005 India.
Rani Laxmibai
Mahavidyalaya, Parola,
District -Jalgaon (MS)
425 111 India.
Corresponding author:
Borale RP.
Email:
rajendraborale@gmail.com
Phone No:
+91 94222 18839.
Web Address:
http://janimalsciences.com
documents/AS0009.pdf
Dates:
Received: 07 May 2012 Accepted: 15 May 2012 Published: 21 Feb 2013
Article Citation:
Borale RP and Ahirrao KD.
Studies on development of Lymnaea acuminata with respect to age-length
relationship and relative condition factor (Kn)
Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059
Journal of Research in Animal Sciences An International Scientific Research Journal
Original Research
Keywords:
Lymnaea acuminate, age length relationship, developmental studies on
Lymnaea

2. INTRODUCTION
The developments of Pulamonate gastropod have
been described by (Taylor, 1907). (Carrick, 1938)
described the life cycle and development of
Agriolimax agrestis. (Raven and Kolomp, 1946)
has worked on development of Lymnaea strangles.
Bondesen (1950) made detailed observation on the egg
capsule of fresh water pulmonates gastropods. He
showed hatching of the young ones from the eggs
by rupturing the egg membrane by their radula in
L. stagnalis and three pulmonate families, Physidae,
Lymnaeidae and Planorbidae. Creek (1951) studied
the reproductive system and embryology of snail,
Pomatia elengans. Balsubramaniam (1952) studied the
development of Ariophanta bistrialis. Dewitt (1954)
reported the reproduction, embryonic development and
growth in the pond snail, Physa gyrinaI.
Jura and George (1958) made observations on
the jelly mass of three mollusk, Succinea putris L.
Stagnalis and Planorbis corneus with special reference
to Metachromasia. (Quazi, 1974 and Dama, 1977) have
studied the embryology and early development of
freshwater pulmonate snail, Limnea sp. (Vaidya, 1977)
observed the early development of fresh water snail
Indoplanorbis exustus. In this paper the breeding habits
and early development of the snail, L.acuminate are
described along with the relationship of animal length
and age of animal during development.
056 Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059
Borale and Ahirrao,2013
SR. No. Age (days) x Mean length (µ) y x2
xy
Calculated length
y' from reg. eq.
Kn value y/y'
1 0 37.44 0.00 0.00 31.49 1.19
2 1 46.08 1.00 46.08 54.57 0.84
3 2 54.72 4.00 109.44 77.65 0.70
4 3 60.48 9.00 181.44 100.73 0.60
5 4 84.96 16.00 339.84 123.81 0.69
6 5 165.60 25.00 828.00 146.89 1.13
7 6 182.88 36.00 1097.28 169.97 1.08
8 7 203.04 49.00 1421.28 193.05 1.05
9 8 239.04 64.00 1912.32 216.13 1.11
10 9 295.13 81.00 2556.17 239.22 1.23
11 10 301.61 100.00 3016.10 262.30 1.15
12 11 313.06 121.00 3443.66 286.38 1.10
13 12 324.50 144.00 3894.00 308.46 1.05
14 13 330.98 169.00 4302.74 331.54 1.00
15 14 335.88 196.00 4702.32 354.62 0.94
16 15 348.91 225.00 5233.65 377.70 0.92
17 16 376.63 256.00 6026.08 400.78 0.94
18 17 414.14 289.00 7040.38 423.86 0.98
19 18 415.80 324.00 7470.00 446.95 0.93
20 19 456.55 361.00 8674.45 470.03 0.97
21 20 492.41 400.00 9848.20 493.11 1.00
22 21 544.61 441.00 11436.81 516.19 1.06
n=22 Σx=231.00 Σy=6024.41
Σx2
=33
11.00
Σxy=836
94.64 ΣKn=21.66
Table 1 Age-length relationship of early developmental stages of snail, Lymnaea acuminata.
Regression equation: y = a + bx
a= 31.49, b = 23.08,
y = 31.49 + 23.08x
Average Kn= 0.98

3. Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059 057
Borale and Ahirrao, 2013
Plate 1
Fig. 1
Legend:
Figure. 1: Egg string of L. acuminata ( 100X), E = Egg, Em = Embryo.
Figure. 2: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 0 days
Figure. 3: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 1 days
Figure. 4: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 2 days
Figure. 5: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 3 days
Figure. 6: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 4 days
Figure. 7: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 5 days
Figure. 8: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 6 days
Figure. 9: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 7 days
Figure. 10: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 8 days
Figure. 11: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 9 days
Figure. 12: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 10 days
Figure. 13: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 11 days
Figure. 14: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 12 days
Figure. 15: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 13 days
Figure. 16: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 14 days
Figure. 17: Developing embryo of L. acuminata ( 100X) – 15 days

4. MATERIALS AND METHODS
The snails, L. acuminata were collected from
local ponds. they were brought to the laboratory
and kept in plastic troughs containing sufficient
de-chlorinated water. They were cleaned so as to remove
the mud and algal material on their shell. The snails were
acclimated for 24 h under laboratory conditions. The
active snails, ranging from 24 to 26 mm were selected
for the experiments. The snails were fed once in a
day with a algal material like Spirogyra and Hydrilla.
Before starting the experiments, the rearing troughs were
cleaned so as to collect easily egg strings adhered to the
surface of troughs. Egg strings attached to surface of
troughs, petioles and leaves were collected carefully with
the help of scalpel during morning hours 8 to 9 AM.
They were kept in Petri-dishes containing filtered water.
The Petri-dishes were labeled according to date and time
of collection. The egg masses showing different
developmental stages were sorted out in different
Petri-dishes according to the stage of their development.
The time taken for each of them for hatching was noted.
As the eggs were transparent and surrounded by mucus
string, changes taking place up to the stage of hatching
could be observed directly under a light microscope.
Their maximum lengths were measured with the help of
ocular micrometer. The measurements were then
statistically analyzed like length of developmental stage
and age relationship, and relative condition factor, Kn by
using MS Excel 2007 with the procedures stated by
(Pillai and Sinha, 1968).
RELULTS AND DISCUSSION
The development was completed in eleven days.
On eleventh day hatching is taken place. Just before the
time of hatching the dimension of the young snail was
313.06 µ X 268.2 µ. The shell had only single gyri,
showed resemblance to the adult. The head and foot were
developed; the foot was heavily ciliated towards the
anterior tip. A single egg membrane surrounded around
the young one. The young animal glided around over the
inner surface of egg membrane. Eventually the egg
membrane became more and more flexible and the foot
could be seen to have a suction effect upon it. There after
the membrane began more and more collapsed in folds
around the young animal. Ultimately the repeated the
tearing motion resulted in rupture of the egg membrane;
in the course of events, the foot and anterior part of the
head region protruded outside to enlarge the hole. When
the size of the hole was increase the animal rather
quickly emerged out.
The length and dimensions of the developing
embryo in egg capsule was found to be increased
(Plate 1). The relationship of age and length of embryo
was statistically analyzed and represented in Table 1.
The heart beat was clearly seen in the embryo from V
day on wards. It was initially around 85 beats /minute;
this gradually decreased as age increase and stabilized at
60 beats /minute at the age of 21 days.
L.acuminata is hermaphrodite freshwater
pulmonate snail. Generally the animal breeds in rainy
season from July to September. Though they are
hermaphrodite, crossbreeding generally takes place. The
court ship behavior includes the trailing one snail by
another and testicular contraction. (Nagabhushanam and
Kulkarni,1971) observed cross fertilization in
Laevicaulis alte. Early in the morning there were several
strings attached to the wall of trough and to the leaves
and petioles. The eggs were laid in triple layer in
gelatinous ribbon shaped matrix. Parental care of egg
was not noticed in Limnaea.
Age and length relationship of embryo was found
to be perfect positive, r = 0.98. It means that the
development was not slowed down. During the period of
development, length of embryo was increased gradually.
Average Kn Value of age and length relationship was
found to be near about 1, i.e., Kn = 0.98. It is evident that
length of embryo was increased as age is increased.
058 Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059
Borale and Ahirrao,2013

5. REFERENCES
Balsubramaniam TS. 1952. Development of
Aristophanes bistrialis. Bek. Part I, Jour. Annamalai
Univ., 17: 94-100.
Bondesen P. 1950. A comparative analysis of the egg
capsules of freshwater pulmonate gastropods. Natura.
Jutl. 3: 1-209.
Carrick R. 1938. The life history and development of
Agriolimax agrestis, the grey field slug. Trans. Roy. Soc.
Edndr., 59: 563-597
Creek GA. 1951. The reproductive system and
embryology of the snail, Pomatias elegans. Proc. Zool.
Soc. Lon., 121:599-640.
Dama SV. 1977. Studies on some aspects of physiology
of Lymnaea acuminate. Ph. D. thesis. Marathwada
University, Aurangabad, India.
Dewitt RM. 1954. Reproductive, embryonic
development and growth in the pond snail, Physa gyrina.
Trans. Amer. Microsc. Sc., 73: 124-137.
Jura L and George JC. 1958 . Observations on the jelly
mass of the egg of three mollusks, Succinea putris,
Lymnaea stagnalis and Planorbis corenus with special
reference to metachromasia. Proc. Koninkl. Nederl.
Acad. V. Wetensch. Sc., 61.
Nagabhushanam R and Kulkarni AB. 1971. Studies
on the embryology and development of the land slug,
Laevicaulis alte. Marath. Uni. J. Sci., 10:165-175.
Pillai SK and Sinha HC. 1968. In statistical method for
biological work. Ramprasad and sons, Agra, India.
Quazi Azamatunnisa. 1974. Biological studies on
Indian pulmonates snail, Lymnaea sp., Ph. D. thesis,
Marathwada University, Aurangabad, India.
Raven CP and Kolomp P. 1946. The osmotic properties
of the eggs of Lymnaea stagnalis. L. Proc. Koninkl.
Nederl. Acad. V. Wetensch., Sc., 49.
Taylor JW. 1907. Monograph of the land and fresh
water mollusks of the British island., Vol. 2; Leeds,
Taylor Brothers, 312.
Vaidya DD. 1977. Studies on some aspects of
physiology of Indopanorbis ., Ph.D. thesis, Marathwada
University, Aurangabad. India.
Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2013) 1(2): 055-059 059
Borale and Ahirrao, 2013
Submit your articles online at janimalsciences.com
Advantages
Easy online submission
Complete Peer review
Affordable Charges
Quick processing
Extensive indexing
You retain your copyright
submit@janimalsciences.com
www.janimalsciences.com/Submit.php.