Effect of food restriction on female reproductive performance in the redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Parastacidae,Decapoda)

Aquaculture activity has grown remarkably in the last years, crustaceans being the most profitable products because of their high prices. Feeding costs represent a large portion of total operating costs in the aquaculture industry. In this context, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of food restriction on the reproductive performance of redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Females at the onset of sexual maturity were stocked with males and were fed daily a formulated diet at 1.5% (control group) and 0.5% (restricted group) of their mean weight. The experimental period lasted 105 days. The percentage of ovigerous females and broods successfully hatched tended to be higher in restricted females compared with control females, but egg volume and weight did not differ between both experimental groups. However, the lipid concentration of rematuring ovaries was lower in restricted females than control females, suggesting that food restriction affects the amount of reserves transferred to the ovaries during vitellogenesis. The nutritional state of females was independent of the amount of food provided, as reflected by similar growth parameters and biochemical composition of the hepatopancreas in control and restricted females. Based on these results, we conclude that it is possible to reduce the feeding rate of C. quadricarinatus females to one‐third of its original value without affecting their reproductive performance and somatic growth, at least for a 105‐day period. This finding provides a useful tool for commercial producers to decrease production costs and improve water quality in culture systems.