Effects of different natural bivalve diets on the growth performance and nutritional composition of juvenile Neptunea arthritica cumingii

A four-week feeding trial was conducted to identify suitable natural bivalve diets for the growth of juvenile Neptunea arthritica cumingii . The trial aimed to evaluate the effects of various bivalve species on the growth performance and nutritional composition of the juvenile snails. The snails used in the trial had an average weight of 0.48 ± 0.05 g. The tested bivalve species included Sinonovacula constricta , Mactra membranacea , Crassostrea gigas , Mizuhopecten yessoensis , Ruditapes philippinarum , and Hyriopsis cumingii . The results indicated that, except for the C. gigas group, all other groups achieved a survival rate of 100 %. The juvenile snails fed with S. constricta exhibited the highest final body weight and specific growth rate, significantly surpassing those in the C. gigas , M. yessoensis , and H. cumingii groups ( P < 0.05), with the lowest feed conversion ratio observed in the S. constricta group. In terms of digestive enzyme activity, the R. philippinarum group showed significantly higher gastric protease and amylase activities compared to the other groups ( P < 0.05), while the H. cumingii group had the highest lipase activity among all groups. Correlation analysis revealed that the soft tissue of juvenile N. arthritica cumingii fed with M. yessoensis exhibited a very strong correlation with seven amino acids present in the scallops. Similarly, the soft tissue of juvenile whelks fed with S. constricta showed a very strong correlation with seven polyunsaturated fatty acids found in the clams. Among the six natural diets tested, measures of S. constricta is recommended as a superior natural bivalve diet for juvenile N. arthritica cumingii , based upon feed utilization, growth performance, and nutritional enhancement. • Juvenile snails fed with Sinonovacula constricta showed maximal growth and low feed conversion ratio, highlighting its potential as an ideal dietary source. • Juvenile N. arthritica cumingii fed with R. philippinarum showed the highest gastric protease and amylase activities, while fed those with H. cumingii exhibited the highest lipase activity. • Diet strongly correlates with the amino acid and fatty acid profiles in juvenile N. arthritica cumingii , underscoring diet's impact on snails' nutritional composition.