Abstract

Abdominal muscle (tail meat) is the dominant product recovered from processed North American crayfish. The digestive gland, or hepatopancreas, may or may not be recovered. Flesh is not recovered from the chelae. The important processed species in the southern USA are red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), and white river crayfish, Procambarus zonangulus Hobbs & Hobbs (1991) (formerly P. acutus acutus (Girard, 1852)). Two orconectid species, the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus (Girard, 1852), and the calico crayfish, Orconectes immunis (Hagen, 1870), are abundant in the north-central USA and might support a processing industry. Abdominal muscle yield of Procambarus spp. was 11-25% wet weight. Digestive gland yield was about 3%. Size range was 10-60 g. Yield of edible products was greatest for the smallest crayfish and was least for mature, sexually active form I males. Females and immature or sexually inactive, form II males had highest yields. Limited numbers of the Orconectes spp. were available. Yields of edible products for O. immunis, a small species, less than 15 g, were somewhat lower than those of like-sized Procambarus spp. The O. rusticus examined were about 30 g. Yield of edible products was 5-8% less than that of comparable Procambarus spp. Enlarged chelae of mature males, especially in the largest individuals, accounted for a disproportionate amount of body weight. As a result, yields of edible products, on a percentage basis, were dramatically reduced compared to females and immature or sexually inactive males.

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