Assessing the Abundance and Diversity of Snails in Freshwater Ecosystems in Relation to Water Quality and Weather Parameters | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 137, Volume 29, Issue 1, January and February 2025, Page 2855-2877 PDF (491.89 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.415219 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Rakib et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Bangladesh’s rich aquatic biodiversity and favorable agroclimatic conditions boosted aquaculture production to an extent. However, despite its potential, aquaculture output falls short of expectations due to its reliance solely on finfish culture. There is significant untapped potential in cultivating other aquatic species in Bangladesh, such as snails, mussels, etc. This study examined the culture potential of freshwater snails by assessing their natural abundance in three different pond systems in relation to various environmental parameters. This investigation was carried out for six months at aquaculture, non-aquaculture and derelict ponds by using quadrat sampling methods. Five species of freshwater snails and one species of mussel were identified from the selected ponds. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the changes in snail abundance in relation to various water quality and weather parameters, using the number of identified snails as the independent variable. The model obtained R² values of 0.934, 0.741, and 0.788 for the aquaculture, non-aquaculture, and derelict ponds, respectively. The significant independent variables influencing snail abundance varied across pond types: In aquaculture ponds, the key factors were water depth, water transparency, and rainfall; In non-aquaculture ponds, they were air temperature, pH, water temperature, and water depth; and in derelict ponds, they were water temperature, water depth, air temperature, and rainfall. These findings could facilitate the integration of snail culture into existing aquaculture practices, such as Integrated Multi-Trophic aquaculture (IMTA), to boost food production, economic growth, and ecosystem health. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Freshwater snail; Abundance; Linear regression; Aquaculture; Bangladesh | ||||
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