Food Spectrum of the Australian Redclaw Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Von Martens, 1868) (Decapoda, Parastacidae) in the Ponds of Astrakhan Oblast

For the first time, the data on the feeding habits of the Australian red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus in water bodies of Russia are presented. The studies were carried out during the cultivation of crayfish in three ponds of the scientific and experimental complex of aquaculture BIOS of the Volga-Caspian branch of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) in Astrakhan oblast in 2022. The food spectrum of C. quadricarinatus was dominated by plant remains and detritus (mainly rotting parts of cane), they were noted in all stomachs with food, and their share in the virtual food bolus constituted 82.4% on average. The share of the animal component in the virtual food bolus was 12.8% on average, and it was represented mainly by macrobenthos. Planktonic crustaceans did not make up a significant proportion in the virtual food bolus. In total, 20 taxa of invertebrates were found in stomachs. Among the benthic species, larvae of Odonata, chironomids, and larvae and imagoes of Coleoptera predominated. A preliminary assessment of the possible impact of crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus on ecosystems when it penetrates into natural water bodies of the South of Russia has been carried out.