Characteristics of the growth rate, fatty acid profile, and shell content of the freshwater snail Viviparus contectus (Millet, 1813)

Freshwater snails are a nutritious food source, providing vital amino acids, minerals, and protein with low lipid levels. Hence, the adaptation ability, growth rate, fatty acid (FA) profile, and shell content of Viviparus contectus were determined. Biometric measurements were recorded for 6 months. Over the 6-month cultivation period, specific growth rates were recorded as 0.32% · day-1 for shell length and 0.92% · day-1 for body weight. The FA profile of the freshwater snail included a total of 32 compounds with saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs represented by 13, 10, and 9 types, respectively. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) exhibited the highest concentration, followed by saturated fatty acids (SFAs) s at 35.14% and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) at 14.57%. Stearic acid (C18:0), erucic acid (C22:1 n-9), and arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6) were determined as the most abundant FAs within the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs classes, respectively. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy spectra analysis revealed that the shell powder composition consisted of the elements, such as carbon, oxygen, calcium, iron, manganese, and silicium. Overall, V. contectus showed a clear increase in growth over the cultivation period, and future studies are needed to obtain the best culture conditions and intensive production of the species.