Fisheries Report No 63 - Assessment of artificial feeds for battery culture of a Freshwater Crayfish, Marron (Cherax tenuimanus) (Decapoda: Parastacidae)

Authors

Dr N. Morrissy, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Western Australia

Publication Date

1984

Series Number

Fisheries Report No 63

Publisher

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Western Australia

City

Perth

ISBN

0 7244 9317 4

ISSN

0726 0733

Abstract

Performance of juvenile crayfish, 0.1-5 g, on a variety of commercial crustacean feeds was tested under conditions of individual housing ("battery culture"), where sources of additional feed were minimized (detritus), or eliminated (cannibalism) Survival was close, or equal, to 100% over 50 day test periods, a reflection of optimal battery conditions rather than feeding, since survival over 100 days for an unfed (control} group was also 100%. No ecdysiad mortality, or trauma, occurred with crayfish, up to 10g, in compartments of area 75 cm. Growth performance in tests was rated by separate ratios for ecdysial increment and frequency, relative to the maximum growth rate of the species recorded in previous studies. Ecdysiad weight increment approached the expected 52% on feeds yielding more than one third of the maximum ecdysiad frequency. Ecdysiad frequency on commercial and experimentally bound and enhanced (vitamins, protein level) artificial feeds was Less than 50% (7-44%) of the maximum\rate.

Number of Pages

45

Keywords

Freshwater crayfish, Marron, Battery culture, Western Australia

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Natural Resource Economics | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sustainability

Recommended Citation

Morrissy, D. (1984), Fisheries Report No 63 - Assessment of artificial feeds for battery culture of a Freshwater Crayfish, Marron (Cherax tenuimanus) (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Western Australia, Perth. Report Fisheries Report No 63.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_rr/272