The neotropical freshwater gastropod Pomacea urceus is amphibious, herbivorous and attains a
size of 145 mm. The snail fetches a high price of $US 5/kg, and current demand is met by collection
from the wild, leading to over-exploitation. This is a potential aquaculture species, but there is the
need for hatchery production of juveniles, since collection of seedstock from the wild is difficult.
Wild-collected adult P. urceus were placed in 0.4 m2 concrete troughs filled with soil and water.
Mating was induced by a decrease in water level, and after mating, the snails burrowed into the
substratum where egg-laying occurred. The recently laid eggs were carefully removed from the
females and placed into darkened aquaria where the temperature was maintained at 27F3 jC and
the humidity was kept above 80%. After an incubation period of 21 to 34 days, young crawling
snails emerged. Mean survivorship was 96%.