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A preliminary study of primary sex ratios in the freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor Clark

journal contribution
posted on 1999-04-15, 00:00 authored by Chris AustinChris Austin, M Meewan
Although Cherax destructor is the principal cultured freshwater crayfish in Australia many aspects of its general biology and genetics have been neglected. In this study, we report primary sex ratio data obtained from 13 families of C. destructor obtained from intra- and intersubspecific crosses within and between C. destructor destructor and C. destructor albidus. Intrasubspecies crosses and the intersubspecific cross between C. destructor albidus males and C. destructor destructor females generated 1:1 sex ratios suggesting a simple chromosome-based sex determination mechanism in these crayfish. However, the reciprocal intersubspecific cross between C. destructor destructor males and C. destructor albidus females produced aberrant sex ratios with three of four families being consistent with a 3:1, male to female, ratio and the fourth family consistent with a 100% male brood. These findings are difficult to interpret, however, they do suggest that the mechanism of sex determination may differ between the two subspecies and stress the need for further research in this field. The implications of these results in relation to the aquaculture of C. destructor are discussed.

History

Journal

Aquaculture

Volume

174

Issue

1-2

Pagination

43 - 50

Publisher

Elsevier

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0044-8486

eISSN

1873-5622

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

1999, Elsevier