Effect of Acclimation Temperature and TemperatureChanges on Molting and Survival of Ablated and Non‐ablated Crayfish Orconectes virihs

. The effect of acclimation temperatures for producing soft‐shell crayfish, and changes upward from acclimation temperature, were evaluated in crayfish Orconectes virilis subjected to either hemilateral or bilateral eyestalk ablation. In each experiment, 60 juvenile O. virilis were reared for 21 d at temperatures ranging from 20 C to 30 C. Equal numbers of male and female crayfish ranging in weight from 5.0 g to 16.0 g were used in each study. In the first three experiments, crayfish were acclimated and maintained at a constant temperature. In the remaining experiments, crayfish were subjected to a step‐wise increase in temperature of either 5 or 10 C. Molting was highest in crayfish acclimated to 25 C prior to experimentation at 25 C (experiment 2) and in crayfish acclimated to 14 C prior to experimentation at 20 C (experiment 4). Total molts during these two experiments were 51 (85.0%) and 56 (93.3%), respectively. Bilateral eyestalk ablation resulted in significant reductions in the intermolt period in experiments 1 (acclimation temperature 20 C, experimental temperature 20 C), 3 (acclimation temperature 30 C, experimental temperature 30 C) and 6 (acclimation temperature 15 C, experimental temperature 25 C), while hemilateral eyestalk ablation had no effect on molting when compared to control (non‐ablated) crayfish. Bilateral eyestalk ablation resulted in a significant reduction in survival in experiments 5 (acclimation temperature 20 C, experimental temperature 25 C) and 6 (acclimation temperature 15 C, experimental temperature 25 C). Significantly more females molted in one experiment (acclimation temperature 20 C, experimental temperature 25 C), but not in any others. The results of these studies demonstrate that bilateral eyestalk ablation and water temperatures are effective methods of inducing molting in crayfish.