A Preliminary Assessment of Growth, Survival, Yield, and Economic Return of Australian Red Claw Crayfish,Cherax quadricarinatus, Stocked at Three Densities in Earthen Ponds in a Cool, Temperate Climate

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Juvenile (mean weight 8.1 g) Australian red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, were stocked in July at three rates of 12,000/ha, 18,000/ha, and 24,000/ha into two, 0.02-ha earthen ponds in a cool temperature region of the United States (Kentucky) and grown for 70 days. Red claw were fed a pelleted marine shrimp diet twice daily. Ponds had continual aeration provided. Dissolved oxygen and temperature were measured twice daily (0900 and 1530 hours); total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite, and alkalinity were measured twice weekly; and pH was measured daily. At harvest, there were no significant (P > 0.05) differences in final individual weight, percentage weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, percentage survival, yield, and economic return among all treatments and averaged 58.4 g, 805%, 3.04%/ day, 7.47, 42.7%, 461 kg/ha, and Ϫ$2659/ha, respectively. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences in the percentage of males and females harvested from the ponds among any stocking rate with males comprising 48.2% and females comprising 51.8%. Final individual weight of males and females was not significantly (P > 0.05) different among all treatments. These data indicate that there is no advantage to stocking red claw at rates below 24,000/ha in terms of growth, survival, yield, and economic return and that red claw can grow to marketable size in a cooler temperate region of the United States with a short (<110 days) growing season by stocking a larger-size (8 g) red claw.

Use of Alfalfa Hay, Compared to Feeding Practical Diets Containing Two Protein Levels, on Growth, Survival, Body Composition, and Processing Traits of Australian Red Claw Crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, Grown in Ponds

“…Thompson et al (2004a) reported that red claw fed a diet containing 22% protein had similar growth compared to red claw fed diets containing 32 and 42% protein, while Thompson et al (2006) reported that red claw fed a diet containing 28% protein had higher final individual weight compared to red claw fed a diet containing 18% protein. However, the range of average final weights in the present study (49–68 g) was similar to those stated in other reports (Rouse and Kahn 1998; Thompson et al 2004a, 2006; Webster et al 2004). All water quality parameters were within acceptable limits for red claw (Muzinic et al 2004; Webster et al 2004; Thompson et.…”

“…However, the range of average final weights in the present study (49–68 g) was similar to those stated in other reports (Rouse and Kahn 1998; Thompson et al 2004a, 2006; Webster et al 2004). All water quality parameters were within acceptable limits for red claw (Muzinic et al 2004; Webster et al 2004; Thompson et. al.…”

“…FCR values in present study (2.99–2.83) were lower, or similar to, previously reported values for pond‐cultured red claw (Rouse and Kahn 1998; Jones and Ruscoe 2000; Webster et al 2004; Thompson et al 2006). Total yield average (854.8 kg/ha) of red claw from the four treatments in the present study was similar to or higher than other reports (Salame and Rouse 2000; Webster et al 2004; Thompson et al 2004a, 2004b, 2006).…”

“…Benefits on the use of forage in the culture of crustaceans have included the following: addition of forage helped stimulate the natural food chain in the pond and thus accommodated changing feeding habits of red claw as they matured (Salame and Rouse 2000) and forage provided beneficial cover (shelter) during crayfish molts (ecdysis) and may have provided a refuge for general protection against predation, thus influencing survival and production. Survival values (average of 66.8%) of red claw in the present study are similar to the previous red claw pond studies (Webster et al 2004; Thompson et al 2004a, 2004b), so it appears that the addition of hay offers little benefit as substrate to enhance survival of the stocking density and culture conditions in the present study.…”

“…While water stability of a prepared diet is important when feeding crustaceans (Webster et al 1994), a pellet stability test on the diets showed that the 28% protein diet had a lower ( P < 0.05) pellet water stability (88%) compared to the 13% protein diet (95%). However, although the 28% protein diet had a lower pellet water stability, it was similar to or higher than Webster et al (1994) and Tidwell et al (1997), and growth of red claw fed the 28% protein diet appeared to be similar to other published data (Webster et al 2004; Thompson et al 2004a, 2006).…”