Determination of Some Population Parameters of Freshwater Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) in Tatli and Gici Lakes from Bafra Fish Lakes

Abstract

In this study, determination of the morphometric parameters and egg fecundity freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823), measurement and comparing of were aimed in Tatlı and Gıcı Lakes from Bafra Fish Lakes in Samsun, Turkey. The research was carried out between November 2018 and October 2019 by monthly catching of freshwater crayfish using fyke net at determined stations. While 105 of 242 freshwater crayfish from Tatlı Lake were female and 137 were male, 87 of 216 freshwater crayfish from Gıcı Lake were female and 129 were male and the difference between the sexes was not significant. The average total length and average weight of freshwater crayfish from Tatlı Lake were 10.27±0.09 cm and 33.76±0.88 g, respectively. In Gıcı Lake, the average total length and average weight of freshwater crayfish were 10.44±0.41 cm and 37.15±1.91 g, respectively. A strong positive linear relationship was found between length and weight of freshwater crayfish in Tatlı Lake and Gıcı Lake. However, the claw length and claw width of the male freshwater crayfish were greater. The average number of individual eggs, the average total egg weight, the average unit egg weight and the average egg diameter of the sampled egged crayfish in Tatlı Lake were 241.24±11.94, 3.22±0.17 g, 0.013±0.001 g and 2.61±0.02 mm, respectively. These were 245.38±15.87, 3.03±0.19 g, 0.013±0.001 g and 2.73±0.02 mm for sampled egged lobsters in Gıcı Lake, respectively. At the end of the study, it was determined that the environmental and morphometric parameters, egg fecundity of freshwater crayfish in Tatlı and Gıcı Lakes were similar between the lakes.