The effect of artificial photoperiod on growth and reproduction in the land snailCepaea nemoralis

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Abstract
Specimens of Cepaea nemoralis were raised from egg to adult in the laboratory for 15.5 months in two artificial photoperiods: short-day (LD 8:16) and long-day (LD 16:8). Over 20% of the snails in each photoperiod were functional adults by the end of the experiment and had fully developed male and female reproductive systems as determined both by dissection and by oviposition. A total of 925 eggs were laid by animals reared in a long-day photoperiod, whereas animals in a short-day photoperiod laid 677 eggs. Animals reared in a long-day photoperiod grew slightly faster (2.04 mg/day compared to 1.73 mg/day), began laying eggs about 18 days sooner, and suffered higher mortality (19% compared to 11%) than animals reared in a short-day photoperiod. These results clearly establish for C. nemoralis that gametogenesis and the development of a functional hermaphroditic reproductive system are neither prevented nor significantly retarded by exposing the animals to a short-day photoperiod for their entire pre-reproductive life.