EXPERIENCE ON DOMESTICATION OF THE CRAYFISH <i>PONTASTACUS CUBANICUS </i>IN THE AQUARIUM-TYPE SETUP OF FSBSI "AZNIIRKH"
For a long time, indigenous commercial species of Ponto-Caspian origin (broad-clawed crayfish, narrow-clawed crayfish and Kuban crayfish) have been annually supplied from Russia to the Western Europe markets where they are highly valued for their nutritional qualities. Currently, based on the aquarium complex of the Azov Sea Research Fisheries Institute (AzNIIRKH), research works with the possibility of application have been initiated on the development of technology for the production of freshwater crayfish under controlled conditions. For this purpose, freshwater crayfish breeders from the natural environment were kept in tanks equipped with a closed water circulation system. In the experiment, sexually mature males and females caught in the shallow channel Cherepashiy (Turtle) were used, and the channel itself was the source of water supply for the farm “Vzmorye”. The experience on adapting freshwater crayfish to the industrial conditions of the aquarium complex on the basis of AzNIIRKH has shown that the domestication of narrow-clawed crayfish breeders in the tanks occurred on the 39th day, and the breeders began to consume artificial feed. Adaptation of the wild narrow- clawed Kuban crayfish to artificial conditions of the hatchery has shown the possibility of using fiberglass aquaculture tanks for these purposes. Positive results of one-year's experiments allow to plan the studies for the future with the aim to form a crayfish broodstock.