Growth of juvenile red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii) (Decapoda: Cambaridae) reared in groups consisting of either sibling and non sibling individuals

Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852), which is indigenous to North America, is the most commercially farmed crayfish in the world. Profitability of farming depends mainly on crayfish growth rates. Thus research focused on factors affecting growth is of considerable importance for aquafarming. The objective of the present paper is to determine whether the growth of individual crayfish reared in sibling and non-sibling groups differ. This has not been evaluated previously for this species. The experiment was done in the laboratory in November 2011 and involved the analysis of the growth in terms of length of 96 individuals. Survival of the individuals reared in sibling groups was 98.3% and of those reared in non-sibling groups 96.3%. The differences in growth and number of moults in the two groups were not significant. The observations started two weeks after the juveniles became free-living at which time it is possible that any sibling effect could be indistinct.

[1]  M. Hulák,et al.  A Successful Crayfish Invader Is Capable of Facultative Parthenogenesis: A Novel Reproductive Mode in Decapod Crustaceans , 2011, PloS one.

[2]  J. Smyth,et al.  Sodium chloride as effective antifungal treatment for artificial egg incubation in Austropotamobius pallipes , 2011 .

[3]  J. Carral,et al.  Artificial incubation of noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) eggs in a partially recirculating system using formaldehyde as an antifungal treatment , 2010 .

[4]  D. Ulikowski,et al.  In vivo calibration of juvenile crayfish body length and weight with a photographic-computer method , 2009 .

[5]  S. Meyers,et al.  DIETARY PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS OF THE RED CRAWFISH, Procambarus clarkii (GIRARD) (DECAPODA, CAMBARIDAE), GROWN IN A CLOSED SYSTEM , 2009 .

[6]  J. Huner,et al.  The Molt Cycle Of Subadult Red Swamp Crawfish, Procambarus clarkii(Girard) , 2009 .

[7]  F. Gherardi,et al.  Extended Mother–Offspring Relationships in Crayfish: The Return Behaviour of Juvenile Procambarus Clarkii , 2008 .

[8]  Y. Mazlum.  Influence of Visible Implant Fluorescent Elastomer (VIE) Tagging on Growth, Molting and Survival of the Eastern White River Crayfish, Procambarus acutus acutus (Girard, 1852) , 2007 .

[9]  Zhanna Reznikova,et al.  Animal Intelligence: From Individual to Social Cognition , 2007 .

[10]  M. Sasaki,et al.  Notes on paternal care and sibling cannibalism in the giant water bug, Lethocerus deyrolli (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) , 2006 .

[11]  E. Little.  Ontogeny of maternal behavior and brood pheromone in crayfish , 1976, Journal of comparative physiology.

[12]  G. Vogt,et al.  Parthenogenesis in an outsider crayfish , 2003, Nature.

[13]  Fadi A. Issa,et al.  Dominance hierarchy formation in juvenile crayfish procambarus clarkii , 1999, The Journal of experimental biology.

[14]  M. Figler,et al.  Shelter competition in juvenile red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii): the influences of sex differences, relative size, and prior residence , 1999 .

[15]  J. Carral,et al.  The possibilities for artificial incubation of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes Lereboullet) eggs: comparison between maternal and artificial incubation. , 1999 .

[16]  M. Figler,et al.  Maternal aggression and post‐hatch care in red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard): The influences of presence of offspring, fostering, and maternal molting , 1997 .

[17]  I. Karplus,et al.  Ration and spatial distribution of feed affect survival, growth, and competition in juvenile red-claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, reared in the laboratory , 1997 .

[18]  C. Jones,et al.  Production of juvenile redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens) (Decapoda, Parastacidae) I. Development of hatchery and nursery procedures , 1995 .

[19]  D. Holdich.  Crayfish nomenclature and terminology : recommendations for uniformity , 1992 .

[20]  D. E. Aiken.  Chapter 2 – Molting and Growth , 1980 .

[21]  E. Little.  Chemical communication in maternal behaviour of crayfish , 1975, Nature.

[22]  E. B. Hart,et al.  Growth and Reproduction on Milk Diets , 1931 .