Effect of temperature on weigth increase, survival, and thermal preference of juvenile redclaw crayfish Cherax quadrecaninatus

Abstract

The objective was to determine the effect of temperature on the development of Australian crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus juveniles and its thermal preference under laboratory conditions. The determination of the effect of temperature was made based on the results of growth and survival of juvenile crayfish C. quadricarinatus. The crayfish were cultivated and fed with commercial shrimp pellets for 90 days at four different temperatures (20, 25, 28, and 31 °C). The greatest weight increase and total biomass were obtained at 28 °C and the highest survival (83%) at 25 °C. The thermal preference of crayfish after the assay was also examined in crayfish of each treatment. The thermal preference of crayfish was always between 23 °C and 26 °C.