Effects of starvation on hepatopancreas and muscle reserves in juveniles of the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus.

NATALIA S. CALVO; LIANE STUMPF; ANA LAURA TOMAS; LAURA S. LÓPEZ GRECO.

San José

Congreso; TCS-ALCARCINUS Summer Meeting, Costa Rica 2013; 2013

The Crustacean Society

ver cd del congreso página 166Crustaceans accumulate reserves when nutritional conditions are favorable and thus, maintenance,growth and reproduction are ensured during periods of food limitation. The aim of this study was to describe the use of nutrient reserves after a long period of starvation. A total of 120 juveniles were randomly assigned to one of two groups: control (C) juveniles continuously fed and treated (T) juveniles starved for 50 days and then fed until the end of the experiment (day 90). Twenty juveniles from each group were sacrificed at days 40, 50 and 90. Glycogen, total lipids and protein concentration of hepatopancreas and muscle were estimated. The main energetic reserves were affected in different ways. Lipids in hepatopancreas of T juveniles were lower than C throughout the experiment while muscle showed the same effect only at day 40. Glycogen values of T juveniles were similar to those of C during the starvation period in both organs. However, after feeding, glycogen in muscle was much higher than C. In both organs, during starvation, the protein level of T was lower than C while after feeding both achieved similar values. In conclusion, protein and lipids from storage organs decreased during starvation but protein reserves were recovered earlier than lipids when juveniles were fed. Glycogen would not be affected by long starvation period but when food is available a quick response to accumulate this in muscle is triggered. This research contributes to understand the dynamism in the storage organs of an important species for aquaculture.BID PICT 01187. PIP 129. UBACYT 2011-2014 (20020100100003)