Crayfish nutrition: what crayfish are used to eating in nature and what they are fed in captivity

In many countries (including Russia), crayfish meat is considered a delicacy. People are happy to eat this delicacy. But there is such a category of people who consider crayfish not very attractive food. The reason for this “disgust” is a false idea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe nutrition of this arthropod.

Some believe that these animals feed on rot and carrion. But this is completely untrue. In this article we will talk about what these arthropods eat.

What kind of animal is that?

Before talking about what crayfish eat, it’s worth getting to know these arthropod inhabitants of the water element. These animals belong to invertebrate crustaceans. There are many types, to name just a few of the most common:

• European;
• Far Eastern;
• Cuban;
• Florida;
• marble;
• Mexican pygmy, etc.

Cancers are widely distributed on all continents. Their habitat is freshwater rivers, lakes, ponds and other bodies of water. Moreover, several species can live in one place at once.

Outwardly, the cancer looks quite interesting. He has two sections: cephalothorax and abdomen. On the head are two pairs of antennae and compound eyes. And the chest has eight pairs of limbs, two of which are claws. In nature, you can find cancer of the most diverse colors from brown and green to bluish-blue and red. During cooking, all the pigments disintegrate, only red remains.

Cancer meat is considered a delicacy for a reason. In addition to excellent taste, it has practically no fat, therefore it has a low calorie content. In addition, meat contains many useful substances. There is calcium, and iodine, and vitamin E, and almost all vitamins from group B.

What does he eat?

Contrary to the popular belief that crayfish feed on rot, they are quite choosy in food. So what do crabs eat? If artificial synthetic and chemical additives are present in food, then this arthropod will not touch it. In general, these inhabitants of reservoirs are quite sensitive to the cleanliness of the environment. In many cities, they “serve” at the water utilities. The water that enters them passes through aquariums with crayfish. Their reaction is monitored by numerous sensors. If the water contains harmful substances, then arthropods will immediately let you know about it.

Crustaceans themselves are omnivores. Their diet contains food of both animal and vegetable origin. But the second type of food is the most common.

First of all, he will eat caught algae, coastal grasses and fallen leaves. If this food is not available, then a variety of water lilies, horsetail, sedge will be used. Many fishermen noticed that arthropods eat nettles with pleasure.

But cancer will not pass by food of animal origin. He will gladly eat insect larvae and adults, mollusks, worms and tadpoles. Very rarely, cancer manages to catch small fish.

If we talk about the decaying remains of animals, then this is considered a necessary measure. The cancer moves slowly and it is not always possible to catch the “fresh meat”. But at the same time, the animal can eat only not too decomposed animal food. If the dead fish has been rotting for a long time, then the arthropod will simply pass by.

But anyway plant foods form the basis of the diet. All kinds of algae, aquatic and aquatic plants, make up to 90% of food. Everything else is rarely eaten if you manage to catch it.

These animals actively feed only in the warm season. With the onset of winter, they have a forced hunger strike. But even in summer the animal does not eat so often. For example, the male eats once or twice a day. And the female eats only once every two or three days.

What do they feed crayfish when breeding in captivity?

Today, very often crayfish are grown artificially. To do this, farms are created on ponds, small lakes or using metal containers. Since the main goal of such a business is to obtain a large mass, they feed arthropods with food containing a lot of energy. Goes to feed:

• meat (raw, boiled and any other form);
• bread;
• cereals from cereals;
• vegetables;
• herbs (especially crayfish love nettles).

At the same time, food should be given so much that it is eaten without residue. Otherwise, it will begin to rot and the arthropods will simply die. As a rule, the volume of food should be no more than 2-3 percent of the animal’s weight.

Recently, many began to keep these animals in the house, in the aquarium. In this regard, the question arises: what to feed? If there is a pet store in the city, then you can buy food there. In special mixtures for arthropods there are all the vitamins and minerals necessary for their health.

Well, if it’s difficult to get food, or it’s over, then you can feed it with pieces of chicken or other meat, algae, earthworms and all the same nettles. Since crayfish are very sensitive to the cleanliness of the environment, it is necessary to ensure that food remains are not left in the aquarium for more than two days.