Reproduction
Method of Reproduction
C. chinensis has a direct life cycle which means that the mother gives birth to fully developed juveniles about 5mm in size (Nature Serve, 2011). This is not typical for many snails. The embryo develops inside of an egg which remains inside of the mother until the egg is ready to hatch. This type of development makes the organism ovoviviparous (USGS, 2009). In most other families of snails, eggs develop outside of the mother’s body. A C. chinensis female will generally have greater than 169 young in her lifetime with individual broods containing up to 102 individuals (USGS, 2009).
Life Cycle
The following information on life span was obtained from the US Geographical Survey. The life span for C. chinensis males is 3-4 years while females typically live for about 5 years. Females usually become reproductively active in their third year, but bear more young during their fourth and fifth years. The females contain developing embryos from May to August. These snails move into the shallows between June and October to birth their young and then migrate into deeper water for the fall and winter months (USGS, 2009).
Continue reading about the ecological impact of C. chinensis.
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