Spawning frequency, larval development and growth of Muricid gastropod Chicoreus ramosus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Laboratory at Hurghada, Northern Red Sea, Egypt

The spawning frequencies; egg capsules clusters, fecundity, growth and development of larval stages of Chicoreus ramosus were studied in the laboratory. It lays clusters of egg capsules (405 egg capsules) on four frequency times. The capsule length ranged from 19.68 to 20.28 mm. The number of eggs per capsule varied from 177.8 (±3.58) to 214.3 (±1.61) egg/capsules, where the egg size ranged from 287 × 280.5 to 355.5 × 322 μm. The estimated fecundity of C. ramosus was relatively high and reached about 78,748 eggs per animal throughout the spawning times. After 70 days of hatching from the egg capsules the produced larvae reached about 10.71 mm (±2.16) in length and 5.39 mm (±0.578) in width. The average daily growth rate in length was 0.103 and 0.046 mm/day in width. During the first 2 days, the growth rate was about 0.106 mm/day inside the egg capsules (they feed and nurse on the capsule fluid and on the other small eggs), then it increased to 0.137 mm/day by the 70 days of emerging from the egg capsule because they feed on other juveniles and small gastropods which were placed in the tanks.