EFFECTS OF RATION SIZE AND TEMPERATURE ON MOULT INCREMENT AND METABOLIC PARAMETERS OF JUVENILE NOBLE CRAYFISH, ASTACUS ASTACUS

A laboratory experiment was carried out to test the combined effects of ration size (1 vs 3% body weight, b.w.) and temperature (15 ± 2 vs 22 ± 2 °C) on moult increment and metabolic parameters of 80 juvenile noble crayfish (Astacus astacus). The maximum daily consumption (Cmax) and respiration rate (R) were used to calculate the growth scope (i.e. the difference between maximum daily energy consumption and energy costs at a given temperature). The conversion of R into a food-equivalent unit allowed the comparison with Cmax. Results showed that crayfish obtained the maximum moult increment when fed 3% b.w. while temperature seemed to play a less relevant role on growth rate per moult, affecting only the moulting frequency. Crayfish A. astacus fed ad libitum showed a relative insensitivity to the metabolic parameters (oxygen uptake, R and Cmax) within the analysed range of temperatures, possibly as a reflection of this “species” distribution across a broad variety of habitats with different thermal regimes. In the present study, A. astacus displayed characteristics proper of a K-selected species, as slow to moderate growth.