Correlation, regression estimates and heterosis of Archachatina marginata snails in Calabar, Nigeria

Eighty sexually mature Archachatina marginata snails, forty each of the black skinned and white skinned ectotypes were used in a study to estimate heterosis, correlation and regression. Data collected on the snails and their eggs included body weight (BWT), shell length (SLH), shell width (SWH), “mouth” length (MLH) and “mouth” width (MWH); and egg weight (EWT), egg length (ELH) and egg width (EWH), respectively. These data were used to estimate correlations between pairs of traits, heterosis and to predict weight from other morphometric traits among three mating groups [black skinned x black skinned (BAM X BAM), white skinned x white skinned (WAM X WAM) and their cross BAM X WAM)]. Results obtained from the study showed that evaluated traits expressed strong, positive and highly significant (P