There are about 550 recognised species of freshwater crayfish in the
world (Crandal and Buhay, 2008). Several of them,mostly belonging to
the family Astacidae, have attracted a strong interest for aquaculture
purposes. In the last three decades, the main constraints to intensify
astacid culture include poor survival and growth rates of juveniles
during the first months of independent life, when feeding is a critical
factor. Currently, there is little knowledge on astacid crayfish nutrition,
and specifically formulated diets are not available.