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Ribogospod. nauka Ukr., 2026; 1(75): 19-33
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61976/fsu2026.01.019
UDC 595.36:574.5(477)

Received: 30.01.2026
Received in revised form: 05.03.2026
Published: 31.03.2026

Comparative analysis of freshwater crayfish growth in different types of water bodies in Ukraine: current trends and variability factors

M. Burhaz, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , ORCID ID 0000-0003-1551-6002, I.I. Mechnikov Odesa National University, Odesa
V. Gurbyk, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , ORCID ID 0000-0002-0835-1257, Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

Purpose. To conduct a comparative analysis of the growth of freshwater crayfish in different types of water bodies in Ukraine (reservoirs, bays, estuaries) and identify key factors that determine the spatiotemporal variability of their sizes and weights.

Methodology. A review and comparative approach was used to summarize published data on morphometry, size structure, and population parameters of the Danube or narrow-clawed crayfish Astacus leptodactylus in water bodies of the Dnieper basin and the white Dniester crayfish Pontastacus eichwaldi bessarabicus in the Dniester estuary. The comparison was made using unified parameters: average total length, weight, maximum length, modal groups and share of carapace lenghts; reproductive parameters (Ki) and technological parameters of cultivation in RAS were additionally taken into account as a controlled model of environmental impact (temperature, hydrochemistry, sticking density).

Findings. Significant variability in crayfish growth among different water bodies has been established even within the same region: the average lengths and weights of Astacus leptodactylus differed significantly in the Dnieper reservoirs among different reservoirs, which reflected the heterogeneity of trophic-oxygen conditions and anthropogenic load. For Pontastacus eichwaldi bessarabicus in the Dniester Estuary, a reduction in the size structure and a decrease in maximum length in the modern period compared to historical data were recorded, which was accompanied by a deterioration in reproductive parameters (decrease in Ki). Data from controlled studies in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) confirmed the determining role of temperature, water quality, and stocking density as factors that directly affected growth rates and survival of juveniles.

Originality. A unified approach to comparing the growth of freshwater crayfish in different types of water bodies in Ukraine has been proposed, based on field indicators (size structure, modal groups, maximum sizes, length-to-weight ratio, condition indices; for individual populations - Ki) and their relationship with hydroecological conditions, which allowed separating the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors.

Practical Value. The results can be used to assess the status of populations and predict the productivity of commercial crayfish resources in various water bodies, justify protection regimes and catch regulation, as well as to optimize technologies for obtaining crayfish seeds and programs for restoring local populations (in particular Pontastacus eichwaldi bessarabicus).

Keywords: freshwater crayfish, white Dniester crayfish, growth, morphometric parameters, population status, spatial distribution, survival, estuary, RAS, weight.

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