Ponderal development of scargots, Helix aspersa maxima (gros gris) and Achatina fulica (African giant), fed with different kinds of vegetables

Abstract

This paper aimed to evaluate the ponderal development of escargots Helix aspersa maxima and Achatina fulica, in confined conditions, fed in intensive diet until adult stage with different kinds of vegetables. Juvenile specimens from Heliário Modelo of the Centro de Pesquisa em Aquicultura, with one month of age, were fed with thirty different kinds of vegetables: green Italian pumpkin with peel in slices (T₁), lettuce leaf (T₂), "almeirão" leaf (T₃), banana peel (T₄), banana pulp (T₅), egg plant (T₆), beet leaf (T₇), beet grated (T₈), carrot leaf (T₉), carrot grated (T₁₀), chayote with peel grated (T₁₁), chayote leaf (T₁₂), butter kale leaf (T₁₃), "escarola" leaf (T₁₄), cucumber with peel grated (T₁₅), radish leaf (T₁₆), green cabbage leaf (T₁₇), purple cabbage leaf (T₁₈), "rucula" leaf (T₁₉), tomato (T₂₀), cooked rice (T₂₁) ,green com raw and ground (T₂₂), pumpkin (T₂₃), apple (T₂₄), pear (T₂₅), potato (T₂₆), pre cooked rice (T₂₇), cooked ground maize (T₂₈), "brocolos" lief (T₂₉), and cooked bean (T₃₀). The animals growth in weight (W) and in length (Lch) and the survival was evaluated weekly. The food convertion was calculated through the relation between the weight of vegetables offered and that of the leftovers. The Tukey’s test revealed that the best results to Helix aspersa maxima were obtained with cooked rice, green Italian pumpkin, purple cabbage and cucumber. In the case of Achatina fulica, the best zootechnical performance was obtained when the animaIs were fed with cooked ground maize (with water), raw potato, radish and banana peel. It was also verified that animaIs submitted to a unique kind of vegetable didn't reach the commercial size and also preferred soft and humid vegetables. The diary consumption tax varied with the vegetable type used as food, being related to the animal size. In agreement with AVAGNINA's recommendations (1997), a heliculture which does not count with a rotative vegetable foraging system will have raised the nanism tax, with individuaIs showing soft shell and low weight.