Abstract

Aquatic polyculture can improve yields and reduce the economic risk associated with aquaculture systems. A study was conducted over one marron (Cherax tenuimanus) breeding season to determine what effect the presence of an Australian native fish, silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), and an aquatic macrophyte (Vallisneria sp.) would have on juvenile and adult marron in a commercial crayfish hatchery in Western Australia. Broodstock marron, silver perch and Vallisneria were stocked into a recirculating tank system according to the following treatments: marron only; marron + silver perch; marron + Vallisneria; marron + silver perch + Vallisneria. The presence of silver perch resulted in significantly lower numbers of surviving juvenile and adult marron (P<0.05) and the presence of Vallisneria clearly reduced this predatory effect. Tanks stocked with Vallisneria returned juvenile marron of a greater average weight than tanks stocked with marron only (P<0.05), indicating that there could be a useful role for this plant species in commercial marron production. Selective predation, crayfish foraging, turbidity and macrophytes are discussed as factors influencing fish­crayfish interactions with implications for commercial polyculture.

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