THREE BAIT FEEDING MODES ON NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF ADULT CRAYFISH PROCAMBARUS CLARKII

The red swamp crayfish (<italic>Procambarus clarkii</italic>) is a significant crustacean aquaculture species in China, renowned for its high economic and nutritional value. Currently, crayfish aquaculture utilizes three distinct feeding modes: traditional feeding (TF), chilled fish (CF), and famulated diet (FD). This study differentiated adult crayfish into commercial crayfish and parental crayfish, conducting stratified sampling on days 60, 103, and 126 to investigate the optimal feeding mode for adult crayfish under different culture objectives. The results demonstrated that: (1) Moisture and total lipid content in various tissues showed no significant differences among the three feeding modes (<italic>P</italic>&gt;0.05). Crude protein was significantly higher only in the ovaries of the FD group compared to the TF and CF groups (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Ash content was the highest in hepatopancreas and ovaries of the TF group and the lowest in CF group, while the CF group exhibited the highest ash content in embryos, with the FD group showing the lowest. (2) The TF group had significantly the highest levels of C18﹕2n-6 (LA) and ∑n-3 PUFA in all tissues (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), whereas the CF group showed significantly the highest levels of C20﹕5n-3 (EPA), C22﹕6n-3 (DHA), ∑n-6 PUFA, and the n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). The higher ∑HUFA and ∑n-3 PUFA content observed in the ovaries and embryos of the CF group may enhance the reproductive performance of parental crayfish. In conclusion, the three feeding modes had limited effects on the basic nutritional composition of adult crayfish. For commercial crayfish, traditional feeding is recommended to improve economic efficiency. Feedings directly influence the fatty acid composition of adult crayfish, and chilled fish is recommended for parental crayfish to enhance reproductive performance. These findings refine the feeding strategies for adult crayfish and provide a theoretical basis for improved aquaculture management practices.