A Pelletized Diet for Captive Benthic Crustaceans

摘要

A feed in pellet form was developed that proved attractive to and healthy for laboratory-reared rock crabs, Cancer irroratus. The pelletized diet contained approximately 50% animal and 50% plant protein (reflecting the indiscriminate nature of scavenging crabs). Compared to commercially used crustacean (shrimp) feed and beef cubes, the pellet diet proved more effective in stimulating growth and in enhancing survival. Of the crabs on the pellet diet attempting to molt, 80% succeeded, while less than half of those on the other diets successfully shed their shells and thus perished.