Using stable isotope analysis to determine the contribution of naturally occurring pond biota and supplementary feed to the diet of farmed Australian freshwater crayfish, redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus)

Joyce, Melissa K., and Pirozzi, Igor (2016) Using stable isotope analysis to determine the contribution of naturally occurring pond biota and supplementary feed to the diet of farmed Australian freshwater crayfish, redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus). International Aquatic Research , 8 (3). pp. 1-13.

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Abstract

Nutritional requirements of redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus) farmed in Australia are poorly understood and little is known on what is actively being consumed in semi-intensive pond culture. In this study the isotopic signatures of δ13C and δ15N of potential food sources were analysed with a multi-source mixing model to determine the extent of their contribution to the diet of farmed redclaw. Four commercial redclaw farms in North Queensland, Australia (Mareeba, Biboorha, Wondecla and Topaz) were sampled for naturally occurring pond organisms and commonly used supplemental feed such as raw corn, soybean, lupin, commercial redclaw, and chicken feed. Both naturally occurring pond biota and supplemental feed contribute to the tissue composition of redclaw to some degree. However, the contribution varies with the type of feed and availability of natural sources, for example plant material at Topaz Farm was a greater contributor with 43.9 ± 19.5 % compared to supplementary sources raw corn 8.20 ± 3.10 and lupin 1.60 ± 1.70 %. Moreover, some supplemental feeds provided a direct nutrient source for primary pond productivity; contribution of the redclaw pellet to zoo- and phytoplankton at Wondecla Farm was 83.1 ± 6.50 and 50.0 ± 9.50 %, respectively, with similarly high values for chicken feed at Biboorha Farm of 72.6 ± 4.70 and 83.4 ± 6.90 %. The cost effectiveness of such feeds needs to be questioned if these are not being consumed and utilised directly. Providing a species-specific formulated feed with improved water stability would enhance production reliability and facilitate growth within the industry.

Item ID: 43044
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 2008-6970
Keywords: crayfish, nutrition, pond biota, supplemental feed, stable isotope analysis, semi-intensive aquaculture
Additional Information:

© The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Funders: James Cook University (JCU), Queensland Crayfish Farmers Association (QCFA), Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)
Projects and Grants: RIRDC Project 8536
Date Deposited: 02 Mar 2016 05:48
FoR Codes: 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3005 Fisheries sciences > 300501 Aquaculture @ 70%
30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3003 Animal production > 300303 Animal nutrition @ 30%
SEO Codes: 83 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8301 Fisheries - Aquaculture > 830101 Aquaculture Crustaceans (excl. Rock Lobster and Prawns) @ 100%
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