Compensatory Growth in Juveniles of Freshwater Redclaw Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus Reared at Three Different Temperatures: Hyperphagia and Food Efficiency as Primary Mechanisms

LIANE STUMPF; LAURA S. LÓPEZ GRECO

PLOS ONE

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2015

1932-6203

Feeding restriction, as a trigger for compensatory growth, might be considered an alternativeviable strategy for minimizing waste as well as production costs. The study assessedwhether juvenile redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (initial weight 0.99 ±0.03 g) wasable to compensate for feeding restriction at different temperatures (23±1, 27±1 and 31±1°C). Hyperphagia, food utilization efficiency, energetic reserves, and hepatopancreasstructure were analyzed. Three temperatures and two feeding regimes (DF-daily fedthroughout the experiment and CF- 4 days food deprivation followed by 4 days of feeding,intermittently) were tested. The restriction period was from day 1 to 45, and the recoveryperiod was from day 45 to 90. The previously restricted crayfish held at 23, 27, and 31 ± 1°Cdisplayed complete body weight catch-up through compensatory growth following therestriction period with depressed growth. The mechanisms that might explain this responsewere higher feed intake (hyperphagia), and increased food utilization efficiency. Hepatopancreaticlipids were used as a metabolic fuel and hepatosomatic index was reduced inthe previously restricted crayfish, but recovery at the same level of unrestricted crayfishoccurred after the shift to daily feeding. The highest temperature affected adversely growth,feed intake, food efficiency, and metabolism of crayfish, whereas the lowest temperatureand feeding restriction induced a more efficient growth of the crayfish.