Feeding Rates of Freshwater Snails (Goniobasis Clavaeformis) determined with Cobalt

A short—term radionuclide method was developed for estimating feeding rates of snails inhabiting freshwater streams. Snails were allowed to feed for 1 hr upon the surfaces of rocks previously soaked in a Co60 solution. Organic detritus and aufwuchs were scraped from the rocks and assayed to determine radioactivity. When the dpm of Co60 mg—1 of food were known, the quantity of biomass ingested by the snails could be calculated by determining the radioactivity in the snails. Feeding rates varied both diurnally and monthly, suggesting periodicity in feeding activities and interactions with environmental factors. See full-text article at JSTOR