Retention of Intermolt Crawfish in a Hydraulic Soft-Shell Crawfish Separation Unit

Abstract

Physcial configuration and operational parameters of a prototype hydraulic soft-shell crawfish separator tray are described. The tray takes adavantage of the inability of soft-shell crawfish to resist a continuous water velocity to effectuate their rapid separation from a mixed population of pre-molts and intermolts. Removal of molted crawfish is rapid, and research therefore has focused on retaining intermolts in the separation tray. Given a well desigend separation tray, intermolt loss rates were found to be prinipally controlled by flow rate and intermolt retention time. Electrical inhibition gates powered by twelve-volt alternating current were used to discourage downstream migration of intermolts through administration of a mild shock upon contact. Crawfish became condioned to avoid the tray exit to the extent that they would not voluntarily approach the inhibition gate.