Abstract: Six submerged plant species Myriophyllum tetrandrum, Elodea nuttallii, Vallisneria natans, Hydrilla verticillata, Potamogeton wrightii, and Myriophyllum spicatum were used as food sources for Pomacea canaliculata. Physiological indices such as growth, development, mortality, and egg production were assessed after feeding on different host plants. The adaptability of small, medium, and large Pomacea canaliculata snails to these six host plants was also evaluated. The results indicated significant differences in the growth and development of Pomacea canaliculata of different sizes depending on different host plants, but no significant effect was observed on survival rates. Among the snails, those of the small size class showed the best growth performance when feeding on Elodea nuttallii and Hydrilla verticillata, with the body weight increasing significantly by 45.67 times and 31.25 times, respectively. The growth performance was the poorest for snails feeding on Myriophyllum tetrandrum, with the body weight increasing by only 6.67 times. For medium-sized snails, better growth performance was observed when feeding on Potamogeton wrightii, Elodea nuttallii, and Hydrilla verticillata, with the body weight increasing significantly by 2.93, 2.15 and 2.08 times, respectively. The worst growth was seen in snails fed on Myriophyllum tetrandrum, with body weight increasing by just 8%. Large snails fed on Elodea nuttallii and Potamogeton wrightii exhibited the best growth, with the body weight increasing by 18% and 13%, respectively. Additionally, the number of egg masses produced was highest, at 11.33 and 14.67, respectively; the growth was poorest in large snails fed on Myriophyllum tetrandrum, with body weight decreasing by 1%, and the number of egg masses was the lowest at just 1.00.

Key words: apple snail(Pomacea canaliculate), invasive species, feeding, submerged plants, growth and development, physiological indexes