Kaldre and colleagues, 2015

Kaldre K, Haugjärv K, Liiva M, Gross R. 2015. The effect of two different feeds on growth, carapace colour, maturation and mortality in marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax f. virginalis). Aquaculture International 23(1): 185-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10499-014-9807-1

Abstract

The effect of two different feeds (30 % protein common carp feed without astaxanthin and astaxanthin-rich discus feed with 20 % shrimps and 46 % protein) on growth, carapace colour, maturation and mortality in marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax f. virginalis) was examined under laboratory conditions. Feeding trials were carried out during 123 days at room temperature in triplicate per treatment (45 crayfish per treatment, 15 crayfish per aquarium). At the end of the trial, crayfish fed with discus feed exhibited uniformly the same dark blue carapace colouration, while crayfish fed with carp feed exhibited significantly lighter and more variable colouration in shades of grey. Growth was significantly faster (P < 0.001) among crayfish fed with higher protein content discus feed than among crayfish fed with lower protein content carp feed. Neither the effect of aquaria on growth nor the effect of feed on maturation and mortality were found to be significant (P > 0.05). Thus, our study showed that the type of feed had a significant impact on the growth and carapace colouration, but not on the maturation and mortality in the marbled crayfish.

Keywords: marbled crayfish • Procambarus fallax f. virginalis • feed • astaxanthin • carapace colour • growth rate