Detailed Early Life History of the Giant Muricid Snail Chicoreus ramosus in the Southern China Sea

Abstract

Tropical marine life is highly diverse, but the development and utilization of many species remain insufficient. The giant muricid snail Chicoreus ramosus, notable for its large size and high-quality meat, holds significant potential for aquaculture. Previous descriptions of its seedling production were incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. This study details the early life history and aquaculture potential of C. ramosus. Experiments conducted from December 2023 to October 2024 covered parental cultivation, spawning, and developmental tracking. Key findings include female parents spawning 191–531 egg capsules per event, each containing 189–520 fertilized eggs, with up to three spawnings and decreasing capsule numbers in subsequent events. The early life stages are: (1) Inner egg capsule development period: Fertilized eggs progress through stages including polar body release, two-cell, four-cell, eight-cell, morula, blastocyst, gastrula, and veliger larvae stages; (2) Outer egg capsule development: Postveliger larvae emerge and transition to juvenile and youth stages. Specifically, eggs develop into middle veliger larvae in about 4 weeks, followed by a 1–2 week postveliger stage, juvenile metamorphosis around 2 weeks later, and growth into the youth stage in 2–3 weeks. This study provides a successful framework for artificial incubation and seedling production, advancing the potential aquaculture applications of C. ramosus.