Electrical stimulation of spermatophore extrusion in the freshwater yabby (Cherax destructor)

A technique for collecting spermatophores from male yabbies (Cherax destructor) is described. This technique consists of applying an electrical stimulus of between 5 and 10 mA and 40–50 Hz around the coxa of the fifth walking leg, and was found to have a success rate of 76% in 100 males tested. Furthermore, this approach enabled the collection of spermatophores from intersex individuals, indicating that intersex animals have the ability to function as males.

Using this technique, it was shown that spermatophore development is correlated with water temperature and that it is possible to elicit spermatophores from males in the non-reproductive season simply by raising water temperatures. The ability to non-invasively collect spermatophores from yabbies will facilitate the development of artificial fertilization techniques in this species.