Digestive enzyme response to supplemental ingredients in practical diets for juvenile freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

A feeding trial was conducted to determine digestive enzyme activity in Cherax quadricarinatus in response to diet composition. Eight experimental diets, each containing one of squid, red crab, sardine (600 and 650 g kg(-1) crude protein), sorghum, wheat meal, soy paste and the reference diet were evaluated over 30 days in terms of amylase, lipase, and protease activities in the hepatopancreas. The diet containing wheat meal produced the highest amylase activity. Lipase activity was not significantly different among treatments. Protease activity was higher in animals fed fish meal (60 g kg(-1) protein), soy paste and reference diet. Results suggest that C. quadricarinatus can modify hepatopancreatic enzyme levels in response to different compounds in the diet and can digest a broad variety of ingredients, particularly starch.