King crab diet research

USA: Female juvenile red king crabs from the Juneau area have been collected this month by the Alaska Department so that biologists from the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery can use them in a new study designed to optimise their diet.

These crabs are ovigerous, which means they are carrying embryos; the embryos will hatch into larvae in spring 2013.

Previous AKCRRAB studies found that larvae fed enriched Artemia had higher survival. The new study will rear larvae with specific enrichments of essential fatty acids and evaluate the condition of larvae with biochemical and hatchery health indices. A comparison of the hatchery health index with the biochemical composition of the larvae will provide a “standard curve” to assess larval condition. If the hatchery health index proves to be a good indication of biochemical condition, the inexpensive method can be used in the hatchery setting to easily and quickly assess larval “health.” The outcome of the project will be the potential to design aquaculture live-food enrichments that are customized to the nutritional needs of Alaska king crab larvae.

Foto: Cartina

Source: Fishnewseu