Growth and Survival of Juvenile Crayfish Astacus leptodactylus Esch., Fed Different Diets under Laboratory Conditions

A. ZAIKOV, T. HUBENOVA-SIDEROVA and Y. KARANIKOLOV

Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Abstract

ZAIKOV, A., T. HUBENOVA-SIDEROVA and Y. KARANIKOLOV, 2000. Growth and survival of juvenile crayfish Astacus leptodactylus Esch., fed different diets under laboratory conditions. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 6: 349-354

The article summarizes the results of an experiment with juvenile crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Esch.), reared up to 1 month of age under 4 diet variants: zooplankton, feed mixture, meat and soybean meal. The experiments were carried out in laboratory conditions in basins with twofold replication of each variant. The following parameters were reported at the end of the experiment: final body weight (Wf, mg), survival (%), specific (SGR, %.day^–1) and daily (DGR, mg.day^–1) growth rate. The best results were reported for zooplankton diet of crayfish (final body weight 89.93 mg, survival 71.88%, SGR 3.56 %. day^–1, DGR 1.99 mg.day^–1) and for feed mixture diet (final body weight 80.42 mg, survival 68.13%, SGR 3.15 %. day^–1, DGR 1.67 mg.day^–1). The difference between these parameters compared to the remaining two variants is of high significance rate.
The results lead to the conclusion that of the feed tested, live zooplankton is most suitable for juvenile crayfish and feed mixture is almost an equal alternative.

Key words: juvenile crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus, feeding, growth, survival