Investigation of the exploitation status of Babylonia snail (Babylonia spirata, Linnaeus, 1758) on the northern waters of the Oman Sea (Sistan and Baluchestan province)

Awareness of the amount of aquatic stocks in each water source is one of the first and most basic information needed to manage of fishery stocks. The Babylon snail species has commercial and export value and its catch has increased in recent years and has not been studied yet. In the present study, the exploitation status of Babylon snail was evaluated by sampling four fishing areas of this species in the north of the Oman Sea (Iran) including Pasabandar, Bris, Pozm and Konarak from September 2021 to September 2022. Biometric analysis was performed on a total of 2779 Babylonian snail specimens. The mean length (standard deviation) and weight (standard deviation) of total snails were 34 ± 5 in the range of 19 - 64 mm and 12 ± 5 in the range of 2- 66 g, respectively. Growth and mortality indices include infinite length (mm) L∞ = 71, growth coefficient K = 0.35 (yr-1), natural mortality M = 0.5 (yr-1), fishing mortality F = 1.75 (yr-1); Total mortality was calculated Z = 2.25 ± 0.29 and exploitation coefficient E = 0.78. Babylon snails have a recruitment in all months of the year and have two major recruitment peaks during the year. The Production per biomass (P/B) 2.15 ± 0.23 in the range of 2.38 - 1.92 and the average annual production is 12 ± 3 per year in the range of 9 - 15. The present study showed that the exploitation coefficient of this species was not desirable and it should be in order to maintain and sustain fishing of this species, appropriate measures should be considered, including reduction of exploitation.