PLEOPODAL EGG PRODUCTION OF THE WHITE-CLAWED CRAYFISH AUSTROPOTAMOBIUS PALLIPES LEREBOULLET UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EGG NUMBER, EGG DIAMETER AND FEMALE SIZE

摘要

Reproductive data from a total number of 1296 adult white-clawed crayfish(864 females mean carapace length size 3.36 ± 0.49 cm and 432 males mean carapacelength size 3.66 ± 0.38 cm) are reported. In a 10-year period, crayfish from wild populationscaught in mid September were kept under indoor laboratory conditions where matingand spawning took place. Broodstock mortality was low: 5% in females and 1.1% inmales. From the initial number of females, 771 mated (89.2%) and 721 spawned (83.4%).Pleopodal eggs were counted without removal between 3 and 20 days after spawningand mean number was 73.5 ± 34.1 (range 14-220). Egg diameter of 94 females wasmeasured giving a mean value of 2.39 ± 0.015 mm (range 2.08-2.79 mm). Correlationsbetween female size (carapace length CL), number of pleopodal eggs and egg diameterwere made.