Abstract

Proximate analysis data were collected for whole crayfish or body parts of noble crayfish, Astacus astacus Linnaeus 1758, rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus (Girard 1852), red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard 1852), white river crayfish, Procambarus zonangulus Hobbs and Hobbs 1990, marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Clark 1936), and yabby, Cherax destructor (Clark 1936). The ranges for intact, intermolt crayfish were as follows: Moisture, 72-75%; Protein, 39-47%; Fat, 2-7%; Fiber, 10-14%; Ash, 25-34%; Calcium, 8-14%; and Phosphorus, 0.8-1.1%. There were no dramatic differences in these parameters among crayfish species. There were apparent differences between mature and immature crayfish within species. Soft-shell crayfish had much higher protein and fat and lower fiber, ash, and calcium levels than intermolt crayfish. Peeling wastes were also analyzed. Differences between whole intermolt crayfish and peeling wastes with hepatopancreas material were very distinct. Whole intermolt crayfish contained 10% more protein and 0-3% less fat, 5% less fiber, 12% less ash, and 3% less calcium than peeling wastes. Whole abdomens with exoskeletons contained 22% more protein than whole cephalothoraxes but had 1.5% less fat, 4% less fiber, and 7% less calcium than cephalothoraxes. Ash and phosphorous were similar in the two body sections. Energy levels for whole crayfish and various crayfish products from pond-raised Procambarus spp. were: whole crayfish 13-18 Kj/g; peeling wastes, 11-12 Kj/g; abdominal muscle, 21-24 Kj/g; shed exoskeletons, 5-6 Kj/g; and hepatopancreas, 34-35 Kj/g.

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