Hello, please help inform the living habits and breeding methods of stone snails, thank you,,,

Stone snails inhabit stone walls or crevices in mountainous streams with clean water. They hide during the day and emerge at night to feed on microorganisms in the water. Regarding breeding technology, it is recommended that you consult relevant experts at the Fisheries Research Institute.

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1. Habits of stone snails

Snails like to inhabit water environments with humus-rich bottom mud, such as lakes, ponds, fields, or slow-flowing rivers with lush aquatic plants. In water bodies, they often feed on microorganisms and humus in the soil, as well as phytoplankton, young aquatic plants, moss, etc. They also like to eat artificial feed, such as fruits and vegetables, vegetable leaves, rice bran, wheat bran, soybean meal (cake) and various Animal scraps, etc. Stone snails are cold-tolerant but afraid of heat. The suitable temperature for their life is 20°C to 28°C. If the water temperature is lower than 10°C or higher than 30°C, they will stop eating and burrow into the soil or grass to escape the cold and heat. When the water temperature exceeds 40°C, the stone snails will be scalded to death.

2. Reproduction of stone snails. Stone snails are dioecious.

The method of distinguishing male and female stone snails is mainly based on the shape of their right antennae. The right antennae of the male stone snails are bent inward to the right (the curved part is the male genitalia). In addition, the female snails are large and round, while the male snails are small and long. The stone snail is an ovoviviparous animal with a unique reproductive method. The embryonic development of the stone snail and the development of the young snail are completed within the mother's body. From the fertilized egg to the birth of the snail, it takes about one year to gestate in the mother's body. Stone snails lay eggs in batches and start to reproduce from March to April every year. While the snails are being produced, the female and male parent snails mate and fertilize, and at the same time, the snails to be produced the following year are conceived in the mother's body. One mother snail produces about 100 to 150 young snails throughout the year.

3. Artificial Breeding

1. Stone snails in cultured water bodies have strong adaptability and few diseases. As long as they avoid poisoning by large amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, they can be cultivated in many flat rivers, creeks, and pits in rural areas. It can be stocked in ordinary water bodies such as rice fields and ponds. If you dig a special pond for breeding, choose a location with convenient water source and humus soil to build the pond (if the soil is not suitable, it is best to apply mixed compost first to improve it). Keep the bottom mud thickness at 10 to 15 centimeters, and the area is not limited. If it is an open water body, a small amount of Azolla and water lilies can be cultivated on the water surface. Some long vines and vegetables can be planted around the pond to provide shade. Bamboo tails, branches or stones, grass, etc. are arranged in the water for the stone snails to shelter and inhabit. Ten days before the snails are released, apply quicklime to the entire pond at a rate of 50 kg to 100 kg per acre to remove wild fish, shrimps and other miscellaneous snails. After 3 to 4 days, pile organic fertilizers and breeding bait organisms in the water for the snails to feed on. 2. Stocking of seed snails Stocking of seed snails is best done in the early stages of stone snail reproduction. The sources of stone snails include: first, wild collection, and second, market collection. Choose fresh snails that are light brown in color, have thin and complete shells, and have blunt domes. Generally, 0.1 to 0.5 kilograms of seed snails are added per square meter in natural extensive water bodies. In intensive ponds, the seed amount can be increased by 2 to 3 times. The cultured stone snails can be stocked alone, some silver carp and bighead carp species can also be raised, or stone snails and loaches can be cultured together. 3. Feeding and management Extensive breeding methods in natural waters only need to maintain the fertility of the water body and apply an appropriate amount of organic fertilizers such as manure, chicken manure, cow manure, pig manure or straw at regular intervals to meet the growth needs of rock snails. In the case of high-density intensive breeding, artificial bait must be added. Stone snails do not have high nutritional requirements. Simply use rice bran, wheat bran, and soybean flour in a ratio of 60%, 25%, and 15% to make the best feed for stone snails. According to the eating conditions and climate conditions of the stone snail, the stone snail has a strong appetite and can be fed once every two days at a temperature suitable for growth (i.e. 20°C to 28°C), with the amount of feeding each time being 2% to 3% of the body weight. When the water temperature is between 15℃～20℃ and 28℃～30℃, feed twice a week, about 1% each time. When the temperature is lower than 15°C or higher than 30°C, invest less or not at all.

4. Daily management work

It is strictly prohibited to flow into water sources contaminated by pesticides and chemical fertilizers; prevent the invasion of ducks, snakes, rats, birds and other enemies; promptly remove weeds and grass roots in the water. Usually use micro-flow water to keep the water level at about 30 cm. Increase water flow during high temperature seasons to control the increase in water temperature and ensure sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water body. In cold weather, stone snails hibernate in the soil. At this time, change the water once or twice a week, and sprinkle some chopped straw into the water body to help the stone snails survive the winter.