Effect of Dietary Lead on Feeding and Growth of Juvenile Slug, Filicaulis alte and Juvenile Snail Macrochlamys indica

The present study was focused upon the assessment of effect of dietary Pb on juvenile slug, F. alte and snail, M. indica. Based upon laboratory feeding tests performed on adult slug, F. alte and snail, M. indica to different concentrations of Pb i.e 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 μg/g, lowest concentration (50μg/g) was selected for juveniles. Both were fed upon lowest concentration of Pb for a period of one month. It was revealed that there was progressive increase in body weight of juvenile snails and no effect on growth was found at lowest Pb concentration (50 μg/g) but juvenile slugs were more sensitive, showed reduction in body weight along with 6.33% mortality. Thus juvenile slug could be useful to monitor adverse effects of environmental Pb pollution.