Evaluation of a snail trap prototype for monitoring the intermediate gastropod hosts of <i>Bolbophorus</i> spp. in commercial catfish ponds of the southeastern United States

Bolbophorus damnificus is a digenetic trematode causing significant economic losses within the United States commercial catfish industry. The indirect life cycle complex, requiring piscivorous birds, aquatic snails, and fish to complete. With federal protections on many birds no FDA-approved therapeutic treatment for infections in fish, management industry primarily limited controlling snail host. Planorbella trivolvis Biomphalaria havanensis are snails commonly found ponds known transmit B. damnificus. This study evaluated low-cost trap prototype monitoring populations of these efforts better inform regimes. Snail traps were deployed into farm checked weekly throughout production season. All identified counted evaluate efficacy. Traps captured significantly more foodfish than fingerling ponds; however, this trend was not present monthly box samples. rarely collected only consistently one pond, while P. routinely from all ponds, although abundance varied widely among ponds. could be useful, method monitor control treatments.