Juvenile spotted babylon (Babylonia areolata) were obtained from a commercial private
hatchery in Prachuabkirikhan province, Southern Thailand and maintained in the hatchery
at the Research Unit for Completed Commercial Aquaculture of Spotted Babylon, Chulalongkorn
University, Petchaburi province, prior to the feeding experiments. Homogenous
groups of 750 juveniles (initial mean body weight of 1.48 ± 0.06 g per snail) were distributed
randomly into 15 plastic aquaria of 50.0 9 30.0 9 30.0 cm (3 tanks/diet) at a
practical commercial stocking density of 300 snails per m2 (50 snails per tank). Each
rearing tank was supplied with flow-through seawater, and the flow rate was adjusted to
150 l/h. The bottom of the rearing tank was covered with coarse sand of 3.0 cm thickness.
Water depth in the rearing tanks was 20 cm. Each tank was provided with an air stone, and
water was aerated daily for 20 h. to maintain dissolved oxygen levels at or near saturation.
Water temperature and salinity were controlled at 29–31C and 30 ppt, respectively.