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Effects of body weight ranges on variations in morphological traits of parent snails and eggs obtained from their matings in Obubra, Nigeria
Effects of body weight ranges on variations in morphological traits of parent snails and eggs obtained from their matings in Obubra, Nigeria
*1Ibom, L. A., 2Okon, B. and 3Isaac, L. J.
1Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
2Department of Animal Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
3Department of Animal Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
Corresponding author’s E-mail address: ibomlawrence@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This study provides information on the morphological characteristics of parent snail ectotypes (black-skinned and white-skinned) and eggs obtained from their mating. Correlation between the parent snail traits and the egg traits were estimated. Forty snails, twenty each of the black-skinned (BS) and white-skinned (WS) ectotypes were used for the study. The snails which were managed in wooden cells were grouped in a mating arrangement of one black-skinned ectotype to one white-skinned ectotype per cell and monitored for three months (May to July). Morphological traits measured on parent snails included initial body weight, shell length, shell width, aperture length and aperture width, while those measured on eggs were clutch size, egg parameters at lay (weight, length and width), incubation period and percent hatchability. The results of this study showed that all traits measured on the parent snails varied within and between the four body weight groups evaluated. The variations within groups (that is between the black-skinned (BS) and the white-skinned (WS) ectotypes) for body weight were not statistically different (P>0.05). The trend in non significant difference was also observed in other traits measured on the parent snails. However, there were significant differences (P<0.05) among the egg traits between the body weight groups. The mean incubation period of this study also showed variations between ectotypes within groups and between groups. The mean percent hatchability results of this study showed that the BS ectotypes recorded higher mean percent hatchability than the WS ectotypes. The hatchability values of this study for both ectotypes were moderate, and were not significantly (P>0.05) different between ectotypes among the groups. The results of correlated relationships among morphological traits measured on BS and WS parent snails and their eggs showed that all the traits evaluated were either positively correlated or had zero correlation. The results of this study showed that improvement of the morphological traits evaluated on both the parent snails and their eggs is possible through selection. Interested snail farmers are therefore encouraged to establish suitable commercial production stocks by crossbreeding the BS and WS ectotypes of snails.
Key words: Bodyweight, variations, snail eggs, mating, morphological traits,
ectotypes.
INTRODUCTION
Over the years, Nigeria like other developing countries has depended on poultry for the growth of her livestock industry. However, the production and subsequent consumption of poultry products appear threatened. This is because of occasional epidemics associated with poultry across the globe. A good example is the bird flu (Avian influenza) pandemic. Besides, other species and sources of red meat are also threatened by certain ugly incidences. Swine fever (swine flu) being a good example. These will further worsen the unavailable animal protein in developing countries during this period of economic melt-down. In the light of this, there is need to diverge the conventional attitudes to change and embark on intensive research to discover novel meat producing animals to complement the supply from conventional livestock if the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MGD) agenda for animal protein intake sufficiency must be achieved. Ayeni and Ajayi (1983) recognized wild life domestication as one of the virgin areas capable of solving animal protein intake deficit in Nigeria. Snails, Cane rats, Guinea pigs and giant African rats are among wild life species that are yet to be fully explored and exploited.
Meat (Congo meat) from snails gathered or collected from the wild has traditionally been a major ingredient in the diet of West Africans living in the humid tropical zone (Ejidike 2002 and Ibom 2009). According to Imevbore (1990), Adeyeye (1996), Amusan and Omidiji (1998), Payne and Wilson (1999) and Akinnusi (2002), this meat is highly nutritious, high in digestible protein, low in fat and competes favourably with poultry egg and flesh in essential amino acids. Owing to these qualities, Nodu and Adesope (2002) grouped snails among the excellent sources of animal protein. Omole et al. (1998) also advocated that snail meat could be used as alternative source of animal protein because of its crude protein (18.28 %) content. Besides, Stievenant (1992) stated that snail has a highly palatable flesh of about 60 % crude protein on a dry matter basis and shell made up of calcium carbonate. Snail meat had been proved to be free of cholesterol (Odunaiya 1995) and is therefore always recommended for sufferers of cardiovascular and anaemic problems.
The domestication and hence rearing of snails is a new development in animal production and research in Nigeria (Akinnusi 1997 and Ibom 2009). Akinnusi (2000) also stated that snail as a micro-livestock has recently attracted attention of Nigerian agriculturists and farmers as an aftermath of the alarm raised by Food and Agriculture Organization on animal protein deficiency among Nigerians. Snail as a species has many advantages to receive considerable emphasis and be popular. Some of these advantages include high protein and energy level in human diet of snail meat, its medicinal value, its not a red meat, rapid turnover rate, short incubation period (14 – 30 days) of eggs, employment generation for the unemployed, source of income to the keepers, relatively wide acceptability, ready market for snail products owing to fewer social taboos and easy adaptability to various environment. Its shell can also be used in animal feed formulation as calcium source. Considering these advantages, snail production can play a significant role in fighting poverty and malnutrition among the teeming population.
Snail production is yet to attain the desired level of productivity in Nigeria due to none availability of desirable foundation stock and discrimination against certain ectotypes. The culprit of this discrimination is often times the white-skinned (albino) ectotype (Ibom 2009). Ibom et al. (2008) compared the morphological characteristics of eggs laid by two ectotypes (black-skinned and white-skinned) of Archachatina marginata. Besides, extensive snail research and extension services are still lacking due to the traditional emphasis on conventional animals. Snails are hermaphrodites but practice sexual reproduction and are choosy in their mating partners (Akinnusi 2004 and Ibom and Okon 2010). It is therefore imperative to further assess the possibility of mating between the black-skinned (BS) and white-skinned (WS) ectotypes of snail (A. marginata). There is need also to characterize the egg production ability of this inter-mating, with the aim of adapting their snailets to the traditional small scale system of animal production prevalent in Nigeria. This study will further affirm the findings of Ibom (2009), Okon et al. (2009) and Ibom and Okon (2010), that mating is possible between the black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes of A. marginata. It will also debunk the argument in some quarters that the black-skinned ectotypes do not mate with the white-skinned (albino) ectotypes owing to the choosy nature of mating partners by land snails or differences in pigmentation and genetic constitution.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted at the Snailery Unit, Department of Animal Science Teaching and Research Farm, Cross River University of Technology, Obubra Campus. The description of the area and climate of Obubra were as prescribed elsewhere in Ibom et al. (2008) and Ibom (2009).
Forty mature snails, twenty each of the black-skinned (BS) and white-skinned (WS) or albino ectotypes with weight ranging from 51.19 – 81.34 g and 50.87 – 80.62 g respectively for the BS and WS ectotypes used for the study were purchased from a local market in Ikom, Cross River State. The snails which were managed in wooden cells kept under trees shade were allowed a stabilization period of thirty days. During this period, they were fed commercial layer mash before being introduced to the formulated diet in the last seven days. It is believed that fertilized eggs in mating that took place in their natural habitat were shed during the stabilization period.
After stabilization, the snails were allotted at random into four treatments on the basis of weight (50.87 – 51.19 g, 60.74 – 61.19 g, 70.64 – 71.32 g and 80.62 – 81.34 g) and each treatment replicated five times in the randomized complete block design. There were two snails to a cell in a natural mating (breeding) system of one BS ectotype to one WS ectotype ratio. Keeping two snails in a cell was to be sure that egg(s) obtained resulted from the mating of these two. The snails were left together in one cell for one week and separated for another one week for ease of identifying eggs laid by either ectotype. The snails were monitored for reproductive performance and two egg clutches collected from each of the snails in a cell during the months of May to July for evaluation.
Throughout the study period, the snails were fed on a mixed feeding regime of forage (pawpaw leaves) and formulated diet. The diet contained 24 % CP, 15 % Ca and 2650 Kcal/kg ME. It was formulated with the following ingredients; maize, soybean meal, fish meal, bone meal, wheat offal, oyster shell and vitamin/mineral premix. Feed and water were given ad libitum in shallow troughs throughout the study period.
Morphological characteristics (traits) measured on parent snails included initial body weight (g), shell length (mm), shell width (mm), aperture length (mm) and aperture width (mm), while those measured on eggs were egg weight (g), egg length (mm) and egg width (mm). The incubation period and percentage hatchability of eggs laid by these ectotypes were also determined. Correlated relationships between morphological traits measured on the parent snails and their eggs were estimated. ScoutTM Pro electronic scale with 0.01 g sensitivity was used to measure weight while Vernier Caliper was used to measure length and width of the snails’ eggs.
Across groups data were analyzed using analysis of variance according to SAS (1999) software. Correlated relationships among traits were determined according to methods outlined by Falconer (1989) and Ibe (1998). Significant means were separated by Least Significant Difference of the same the SAS (1999) software.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows the results of morphological characteristics of parent snail ectotypes (Black-skinned and White-skinned) and eggs obtained from their matings. The results on Table 1 showed that all the parent snail traits; body weight, shell length, shell width, ‘mouth’ length and ‘mouth’ width varied within and across the four body weight groups evaluated. However, the variations within groups (that is between the black-skinned (BS) and the white-skinned (WS) ectotypes) for body weight were not statistically different (P>0.05). The trend in non significant difference was also observed in other traits measured on the parent snails. The trend might mean that irrespective of ectotypes, a given weight range of Archachatina marginata snail breed under the same environmental conditions (management and feeding) do not express significant differences.
The clutch size varied within and across the four body weight groups studied (Table 1). The mean clutch sizes obtained in this study for the BS and WS snails respectively were 8.38±0.32 and 4.38±0.82 (group 1), 7.13±0.35 and 4.75± 0.49 (group 11), 7.38±0.26 and 4.38±0.60 (group III) and 7.63±0.53 and 4.88± 0.55 (group 1V). Mean clutch size values recorded in this study for the BS snails are in agreement with the mean value of 7.8 reported by Ibom et al. (2008) for the same ectotype. However, the mean clutch size values of this study for the WS snails are slightly lower than the 5.23 mean value reported by the same authors for WS ectotype. The WS ectotype mean clutch size values of this study agreed with Okon et al. (2010a) who reported 4.85 for first parity litter of the same ectotype. The values obtained in this study for BS ectotype are also in line with the values of 7, 8 and 8.5 reported by Awesu (1980), Reid (1989) and Amubode (1994) respectively. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in clutch size between similar ectotypes in the four body weight groups studied. However, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in clutch size between ectotypes within the groups. The slight numerical variations in clutch sizes between similar ectotypes in the four groups may be due to variations in size or age of the snails, whereas the significant (P<0.05) differences between ectotypes within groups may be attributed to differences in genetic constitution. This corroborates Ibom et al. (2008) and Ibom (2009) who stated that the BS ectotype is more prolific than the WS ectotype of A. marginata perhaps due to their inherent genetic abilities.
The mean incubation period results of this study are presented on Table 1. The results showed that variation existed between ectotypes within groups and across groups. The results were 29.10±1.41 days and 23.94±0.72 days (group I), 28.62±1.41 days and 24.23±0.85 days (group II), 28.91±1.44 days and 23.84±0.78 days (group III) and 29.44±1.45 days and 24.33 days (group IV) respectively. The variations in incubation periods might be due to size and ectotypes of snails used, environmental conditions (sunshine intensity and day length, temperature, relative humidity), soil conditions and the concentrate feed fed to the snails. Shorter incubation periods were observed among the WS ectotype while the BS ectotype recorded higher incubation periods. This could imply that incubation period is dependent on genotype. This is in line with the reports of Okon et al. (2009). The incubation periods obtained in this study are higher than the values of 14 – 21 days and 23.0 days reported by Cobbinah (1993) and Amubode (1994) respectively for BS ectotypes. These values however fall within the range of 24 – 37 days, 25 – 30 days and 25 – 32 days reported by Ogogo (1989), Amusan and Omidiji (1998) and Omole and Kehinde (2005).
The mean percent hatchability results of this study are presented on Table 1. The results showed that the BS ectotypes recorded higher mean percent hatchability than the WS ectotypes. The results were 63.70±8.36 % and 58.44±6.81 % (group 1), 63.82±8.25 % and 58.14±6.76 % (group 11), 63.93±8.34 % and 58.31±6.95 % (group III) and 63.61±8.27 % and 58.24± 6.58 % (group 1V) for BS and WS skinned ectotypes respectively. The hatchability values obtained in this study for both ectotypes were moderate. These values were not significantly (P>0.05) different between ectotypes within the groups studied. The percent hatchability values of this study are close to the values of 66.9 %, 68.4 % and 70 % reported by Awesu (1980), Ogogo (1989) and Akinnusi (2004), respectively.
The results of mean egg traits at lay (weight, length and width) in Table 1 showed that there were variations within and between groups. The variations between ectotypes within the groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). This could mean that ectotype pigmentation and hence genetic constitution affect these traits. However, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between ectotypes in the various groups. The results of this study for these traits were in line with the reports of Ibom et al. (2008) and Ibom and Okon (2010).
The results of correlated relationships among morphological traits are presented on Tables 2 and 3. The relationships among traits measured on black-skinned parent snails and their eggs are presented on Table 2, while those of white-skinned parent snails and their eggs are presented on Table 3. The results showed that all the traits evaluated were either positively correlated or had zero correlation. The correlations among traits ranged from zero (0.00) to perfect (1.00) across both snail ectotypes (BS and WS). The degree of relationships expressed by these traits is in agreement with the positions of Falconer (1989) and Ehiobu and Kyado (2000) who stated that correlation among traits can be low or high, positive or negative and/or no correlation at all. Across the BS body weight groups, the correlation ranges showed that no traits recorded perfect correlation in group I. However, PSW:ESW expressed perfect correlation in the II, III and IV body weight groups. Whereas PWT:ESL expressed high correlations in groups II, III and IV, the relationship in group I was low. All other pairs of traits (PWT:EWT, PSL:ESL, PSW:ESW, PSL:EWT, PWT:ESW, PSL:ESW and PSW:EWT) in group I expressed low correlations except PSW:ESL which expressed high correlation (Table 2). Table 2 also showed that groups II, III and IV expressed high correlation for PSW:EWT. The variations in the degree of correlations across these body weight groups depicts that all the traits are influenced by the same genes and in the same direction. This could mean that the same ectotype of snails possess the same kind of genes.
The results on Table 3 showed that some pairs of traits (PSW:ESW and PSW:ESW) in group I and (PSW:ESW and PSL:ESW) in group IV had zero correlation. The pair of PSW:ESW also expressed zero correlation in group III. The pair of PSL:ESW in group III expressed zero correlation. On the other hand, the pairs of PSL:EWT and PWS:EWT expressed perfect correlation in group II of the same ectotype. Whereas the pairs of PSW:ESL (group I), PSL:ESL, PSW:EWT, PWT:ESL, PSL:ESW and PSW:ESL (group II), PWT:EWT, PSL:ESL, PSL:EWT, PWT:ESL, PSL:ESW and PSW:ESL (group III) and PWT:ESL and PSW:ESW (group IV) expressed low correlations, the pairs of PWT:EWT, PSL:ESL, PSL:EWT, PWT:ESL and PSL:ESW (group I), PWT:EWT, and PSW:ESW (group II), PSW:ESW PSW:EWT (group III) and PWT:EWT, PSL:ESL, PSL:EWT, PSW:EWT and PSW:ESL (group IV) expressed high correlation (Table 3). The positive correlations expressed by traits across the WS body weight groups could also mean that all the traits are under the influenced of the same genes and in the same direction.
The positive correlations expressed by traits in this study agree with the reports of Ibom (2009), Okon et al. (2010a, b). These authors reported positive and very high correlations among snail traits.
Plate 1 shows the mating between the black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes of snail (A. marginata) as captured, and further support the reports of Okon et al. (2009), Ibom (2009), Ibom and Okon (2010) and.The plate is a practical evidence that mating is possible between the black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes of A. marginata.
CONCLUSION The results of this study showed that variations existed in all the morphological traits and correlations evaluated on the BS and WS parent snail ectotypes and their eggs. The variations among ectotypes across groups were numerical and not statistically different (P>0.05), whereas they were significantly (P<0.05) different between ectotypes within groups for some traits. The variations could be attributed to inherent differences between the BS and WS ectotypes used, differences in body weight ranges, concentrate feed fed and the prevailing environmental factors.
The study showed encouraging performance in all the morphological traits evaluated, indicating that improvement is possible through selection. Interested snail farmers are therefore encouraged to establish suitable commercial production stocks by crossbreeding the black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes of snails. This will help in making animal protein available to the teeming populace.
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of Snails (Archachatina marginata var. saturalis). Journal of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Ecology 3(1):36 – 43.
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Table 1: Morphological characteristics of parent snail ectotypes (Black-skinned and White-skinned) and eggs obtained from their matings.
Variable
Group 1
Group 11
Group 111
Group 1V
BS WS
BS WS
BS WS
BS WS
Av. initial parent snail wt. (g)
51.19±1.24 50.87±1.28
61.19±1.27 60.74±1.26
71.32±1.26 70.64±1.31
81.34±1.30 80.62±1.35
Av. initial parent snail shell length (mm)
6.43±0.19 6.95±0.11
7.39±0.09 7.65±0.06
7.66±0.02 7.88±0.01
7.84±0.06 8.70±0.05
Av. initial parent snail shell width (mm)
3.91±0.16 3.52±0.01
4.79±0.08 4.21±0.04
5.70±0.07 4.39±0.02
5.96±0.06 5.05±0.21
Av. initial parent snail aperture length (mm)
4.05±0.13 3.93±0.11
4.53±0.03 4.36±0.03
4.66±0.02 4.48±0.01
5.33±0.03 4.57±0.02
Av. initial parent snail aperture width (mm)
2.61±0.04 2.40±0.07
2.70±0.02 2.61±0.04
2.78±0.06 2.73±0.06
2.94±0.05 2.90±0.04
Av. clutch size
8.38±0.32 4.38±0.82
7.13±0.35 4.75±0.49
7.38±0.26 4.38±0.60
7.63±0.53 4.88±0.55
Av. egg weight at lay (g)
1.68±0.03 1.26±0.05
1.58±0.03 1.05±0.03
1.56±0.04 1.03±0.03
1.67±0.03 1.01±0.03
Av. egg length at lay (mm)
1.59±0.01 1.49±0.02
1.56±0.02 1.42±0.01
1.58±0.02 1.43±0.02
1.58±0.01 1.42±0.02
Av. egg width at lay (mm)
1.24±0.01 1.10±0.02
1.23±0.01 1.01±0.01
1.21±0.01 1.03±0.02
1.23±0.01 1.01±0.01
Av. incubation period (days)
29.1±1.41 23.9±0.72
28.6±1.41 24.2±0.85
28.9±1.44 23.8±0.78
29.4±1.45 24.3±0.86
Av. hatchability (%)
63.7±8.36 58.4±6.81
63.8±8.28 58.1±6.78
63.9±8.34 58.3±6.95
63.6±8.27 58.2±6.58
BS = Black-Skinned ectotype, WS = White-Skinned ectotype.
Table 2: Correlated relationships between morphological traits measured on black-skinned parent snails and their eggs.
Traits Mating groups
I
II
III
IV
PWT : EWT
0.20
0.91
0.64
0.38
PSL : ESL
0.30
0.40
0.21
0.88
PSW : ESW
0.25
1.00
1.00
1.00
PSL :EWT
0.29
0.88
0.50
0.33
PWT : ESL
0.23
0.98
0.90
0.76
PWT : ESW
0.30
0.51
0.52
0.26
PSL : ESW
0.33
1.00
1.00
1.00
PSW : EWT
0.42
0.73
0.82
0.67
PSW : ESL
0.73
0.21
0.20
0.50
PWT = Parent snail weight, PSL = Parent snail shell length, PSW = Parent snail shell width, EWT = Egg weight, ESL = Egg shell length,
ESW = Egg shell width, WT = Weight, SL = Shell length, SW = Shell width.
Table 3: Correlated relationships between morphological traits measured on white-skinned parent snails and their eggs.
Traits Mating groups
I
II
III
IV
PWT : EWT
0.97
0.89
0.31
0.65
PSL : ESL
0.86
0.21
0.41
0.50
PSW : ESW
0.00
0.20
0.50
0.00
PSL :EWT
0.88
1.00
0.40
0.67
PWT : ESL
0.80
0.23
0.38
0.21
PSL : ESW
0.57
0.31
0.40
0.00
PSW : EWT
0.21
1.00
0.60
0.80
PSW : ESL
0.33
0.41
0.38
0.80
PSW : ESW
0.00
0.52
0.00
0.42
PWT = Parent snail weight, PSL = Parent snail shell length, PSW = Parent snail shell width, EWT = Egg weight, ESL = Egg shell length,
ESW = Egg shell width, WT = Weight, SL = Shell length, SW = Shell width.
Plate 1: The mating between BS x WS ectotypes of snail (A. marginata) as captured.
About the Author
1. Dr. L. A. Ibom holds a Ph.D. degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics. He is a Lecturer at the Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
2. Dr. B. Okon holds a Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Animal Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
3 Mr. L. J. Isaac holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Animal Science. He is a Lecturer at the Depertment od Animal Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
uk parenting magazines Questions
English,did you know your useless parenting is now world famous?Frontpage of the current Time magazine no less
English, did you know your awful kids and terrible parenting are now world famous? Front page of this week’s Time magazine no less…
This BBC News report from this morning is fascinating:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7310000/newsid_7319900/7319916.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&ms3=22&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2
You have the highest rates of binge drinking, crime and teen pregnancies in Europe amongst your young AND A HIGHER CRIME RATE THAN THE US- THAT IS A FACT. You can find the official figures online
Not all of us have awful kids – or are dreadful parents.
Just like the US I imagine 
ive just seen a tv ad promoting Zoey 101 magazine for little girls…i thought they took the show off the air?
after she got up the duff. are they hopin that the uk parents wont mind and buy it for their kids?
for those who dont know Zoey is played by Britney Spears 16 year old sister Jamie Spears..i was just surpised to see it advertised!
It’s still on daily in the US. I guess that the ratings have gone up a considerable amount and from what I’ve heard, they have it filmed through the end of the 4th season and will make a decision from there. My guess is that they will make money off of her for as long as they can, pregnant or not.
I’ve haven’t seen anything about a mag though.
uk parenting magazines Videos
DAVID BOWIE – First TV appearance 1970 – SPACE ODDITY
Sam Dees – Claim Jumpin.wmv
It has never been easier to shop for uk parenting magazines, So
run don”t walk and pick up uk parenting magazines at bargain
prices!
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