The Effect of Food Deprivation on Foraging Behavior and Digestive and Metabolic Capacities of the Chinese Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Abstract

Food deprivation is a common stress in crustaceans that can affect their behavior and physiology. In this study, a video recording analysis system was used to compare the predation rate and behavior of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, foraging on the freshwater snail, Bellamya quadrata, under different degrees of food deprivation. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase, α-amylase, pepsin, and lipase in the hepatopancreas of crabs were determined after food deprivation for 0, 3, 9, and 15 days. The results showed that the predation and encounter rates of E. sinensis increased and then decreased with an increase in food deprivation time. The proportion of stationary time of E. sinensis initially decreased and then increased, whereas the proportion of searching and handling time increased initially and then decreased. There was a significant difference in the probability of capture upon encountering; however, food deprivation did not significantly affect the probability of consumption upon capture. Under food deprivation, the proportion of E. sinensis crushing tactics after nine-day food deprivation was significantly lower than that in the first nine days. Lactate dehydrogenase activity in the E. sinensis hepatopancreas after food deprivation was significantly higher than that in those not subjected to food deprivation, and the activities of α-amylase and pepsin in the hepatopancreas were consistent with the predation rate trend, showing an initial increase followed by a decrease. In conclusion, different degrees of food deprivation significantly affected the predation cycle of E. sinensis on B. quadrata. These results lay a solid foundation for further studies on the foraging behavioral ecology of E. sinensis and provide important information for improving E. sinensis production.