Weight Gain and Survival of Juvenile Australian Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus Fed Formulated Feeds |
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| Authors: | Mark E Meade Stephen A Watts |
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| Institution: | Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35294–1170 USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract.— Weight gain and survival were examined in newly-hatched juvenile Australian crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus fed formulated crustacean feeds. Crayfish cultured using several Argent specialty feeds, including brine shrimp flakes, freeze-dried krill, powdered spirulina, and hatchfry encapsulon, exhibited high mortality (>90%) and little or no weight gain. After ten weeks of culture, crayfish fed AB crayfish feed (AB) exhibited the highest weight gain with nearly 100% survival. Weight gain of crayfish fed other formulated feeds, such as Zeigler post-larval feed (ZPL), Zeigler shrimp grower (ZSG), Burris Mill crayfish feed (BM), Rangen shrimp grower (RSG), and a formulated CNStacean feed (CRUS) were significantly lower. Survival of crayfish cultured using these feeds was also significantly lower, ranging from 40% (CRUS) to 72% (BM). Mortalities associated with these feeds occurred both during the intermolt period and during the molt. Recovered biomass was approximately half of that observed for crayfish cultured using AB feed, further indicating the inadequacy of these formulated feeds for use in crayfish cultures. These data suggest that many commercially available feeds do not provide the nutritional requirements for juvenile Australian crayfish. |
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