There were no shifts towards the small size categories in size distributions of crayfish
after diminutions in growth rate. Size distributions were not skewed to the left and
diminutions in growth rate were attributable to limitations in both natural and pellet feed.
Reactivation of growth occurred at times when feed increased according to the feeding
table. A similar situation was reported for shrimp by RPI (1989), where monitoring of
diminutions in growth rates was considered a criterion to increase feeding. It is possible
that further adjustments to the feeding regime described by Hutchings and Villarreal
(1996) and used for this study could result in steadily increasing growth curves of crayfish
during the nursery stage. As indicated by Hernandez et al. (2003), optimization of redclaw
crayfish production at high densities will require a more detailed understanding of the
nutritional requirements of the species, as well as an understanding of the contribution of
natural food.