Abstract
The Australian red-claw crayfish (RCC) Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens 1868) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae) has been introduced and promoted for freshwater aquaculture in many countries including Thailand. This study i) evaluates the growth performance of RCC in near-natural conditions relative to captive conditions and ii) investigates how successfully RCC can compete with a trophically and functionally analogous native species. Growth of RCC was compared among two aquaculture systems (concrete tank and earthen pond) and a treatment with simulated natural conditions. After 12 months of rearing, total length and weight were greatest in the earthen pond and poorest in the near-natural treatment, with significant differences in total length between the near-natural treatment and the two culture systems. Length-weight relationships showed that the RCC had positive allometry in the culture systems but negative allometry in the near-natural treatment. Competition was evaluated by means of a biotic resistance test and an additive–substitutive experiment between RCC and the native freshwater crab Esanthelphusa dugasti (Rathbun, 1902) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gecarcinucidae). Specific growth rates after 90 days of the experiments suggest that the crab inhibited growth of RCC. This implies that the invasion of RCC in Thai waters could be limited by competition from resident freshwater crabs.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
