Biochemical composition and tissue weight of Chorus giganteus (GASTROPODA : MURICIDAE) exposed to different diets and temperatures during reproductive ？conditioning

a study was made of the effects of temperature and diet on the dry soft tissue weight and biochemical composition of the gastropod chorus giganteus (trumulco) over a 133 day period of reproductive conditioning. adult specimens measuring 9-13cm in total length obtained from the subtidal habitat at chaihuin (valdivia, chile) were maintained in seawater tanks at 13, 15 and 18oc, and fed ad libitum in parallel systems with either mussels, mytilus chilensis, or razor clams, tagelus dombeii. two groups of snails were simultaneously installed in suspended culture at metri bay on the eastern shore of reloncavi sound using the same diets, in order to provide a comparative group of specimens exposed to environmental temperatures (11.0-15.4oc). the results show that all tissues of the snails fed with t. dombeii increased in dry weight and in biochemical components, while the second group of snails showed low preference for m. chilensis and no tissue gains. the most favourable temperatures for the reproductive conditioning were 13 and 15oc, as well as the ambient temperature, with no significant differences among these treatments.