Substrate selection behavior of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus
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Abstract
Adult Sacramento River Pacifastacus leniusculus of two size classes were tested for nocturnal substrate selection behavior. After acclimation to laboratory conditions in flowthrough water systems, crayfish were individually exposed to three simple binomial choices (treatments) between substrate materials: (1) both inlet and outlet halves of tank lined with small gravel; (2) inlet half of tank small gravel and mixed-size rock, outlet half small gravel; (3) the reverse of treatment 2. Comparison of mean proportions of time spent on the inlet half of tank revealed that both size classes displayed substrate selection preferences. However, non-substrate environmental factors such as current direction and speed appear to influence substrate choice. Crayfish spent more time on the mixed rock than on small gravel when the mixed rock substrate was closer to the water inlet (treatment 2) than when the reverse was true (treatment 3). Between size classes, there was one apparent difference in substrate selection behavior; larger adults did not show the general tendency of slight inlet directional movement demonstrated by the smaller adults.
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Klosterman BJ and Goldman C. (1983). Substrate selection behavior of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus. Freshwater Crayfish 5(1):254-267. doi: 10.5869/fc.1983.v5.254
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