Effects of Different Diet Types on Growth and Survival of White-Clawed Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes in Hatcheries

Developing an optimal diet for rearing endangered white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes is important captive breeding success prior to wild release. Four ex situ , 40-day experiments assessed survival and growth of fed different treatment diets. Two (A B) were undertaken with hatchlings, determine if live food was essential dietary component during the first few weeks after hatching. The second set (C D) juvenile (60-day-old) A. initial critical feeding stage. In experiment A, we hatchlings: i) Artemia nauplii + plankton (Live P); ii) decapsulated cysts (Cyst P) or iii) encapsulated in agar gel (Gel CP). Survival significantly greater Live P than other two B compared commercially available feeds by Australian pellet Aus); plus New Zealand NZ); (iv) practical Spanish (Spain). Under these experimental conditions higher Aus Spain. Growth also NZ C, 60-day-old fed: defrosted vegetables (Standard) (ii) PV). not between diets; however, Standard rather Gel PV. D, juveniles four diets: (Australia); (New Zealand); (Standard); iv) lower diet. Crayfish all three Our results showed that high hatchlings a plankton, vegetable, produces