Effect of attractant stimuli, starvation period and food availability on digestive enzymes in the redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Parastacidae)

Chemical stimuli in crayfish have been extensively studied, especially in the context of social interactions, but also to a lesser extent in relation to food recognition and the physiological response of digestive enzymes. This is particularly important in commercial species in order to optimize the food supplied. The first objective of this study was to determine whether incorporation of squid meal (SM) in food (base feed, BF) acts as an additional attractant for Cherax quadricarinatus and, if so, the concentration required for optimal effectiveness. Incorporation of SM was evaluated through individual and group behavioral tests. The second objective was to analyze the effect of food availability on behavior and level of digestive enzyme activity after short-term (48 h) and long-term (16 d) starvation periods. To assess the effect of either starvation period, 3 different treatments were conducted: no feed (control), available BF, and BF present but not available. Individual and group behavior showed no differences among treatments with different percentages of SM inclusion in BF. The time spent in chambers with different percentages of SM was similar in all treatments. Levels of amylase activity and soluble protein, as a function of food availability after a short- or long-term starvation period, were not altered. Digestive enzyme activity was not affected after 2 d of starvation in response to the treatment. However, change was observed in enzymatic profiles after juveniles were deprived of food for 16 d. The main responses were given by lipase, protease and trypsin activity. Based on previous studies and the present results, we propose a hypothesis for a possible regulation of the digestive and intracellular lipase activities depending on food availability.