USE OF A SEINE TO DETECT STUNTED CRAWFISH POPULATIONS IN PONDS,A PRELIMINARY REPORT1

A 4.5-m long bag seine was used to sample crawfish from six 0.04 ha experimental ponds. Length-frequency histograms were evaluated as a predictor of size structure and to detect stunted populations of crawfish. The findings demonstrated importance of determining size structure of crawfish in predicting stunting and harvest potential of a population. Distinct differences in size structure of crawfish populations were apparent by 6 and 12 weeks after flooding ponds. Crawfish populations, with over 45% of the individuals exceeding 75 mm total length after 12 weeks, produced 25 to 30% greater yields than populations in which less than 5% of the crawfish exceeded 75 mm at 12 weeks post-flooding.