Use of Electrical Stimulation in the Automatic Separation of Soft-Shell Crawfish

Abstract

Abstract Red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) were evaluated for their electrical resistance, recovery time, and response to DC and AC fields. In a DC field, crawfish were forced to move toward the anode. Crawfish initially facing the cathode displayed forced backward walking, rapid backward escape by tail-flipping actions, and immobilization as the applied voltage was increased. Crawfish facing the anode exhibited forced forward walking and immobilization as voltage increased. Crawfish placed in an AC field displayed actions similar to those observed for the crawfish initially facing the cathode in the DC field. The use of behavioral response in an electric field to inhibit crawfish movement was evaluated with an electrical inhibition gate. The inhibition gate reduced the number of crawfish that escaped from a culture tray by approximately 80%. Increasing voltage or extending the duration of electrical stimulation prolonged the recovery period. The results indicated that an electrical inhibition gate...