The Effect of Different Dietary Energy Levels on Growth and Survival of Eyestalk Ablated and Intact Juvenile Lobsters Homarus americanus

When fed formulated diets containing 45% protein derived from the rock crab Cancer irroratus, wheat gluten, gelatin, lipids adjusted from 3–14% and carbohydrates adjusted from 5–24%, the average survival of bilaterally eyestalk ablated juvenile lobsters and intact controls were 91% and 99%, respectively over a 90‐day experiment. Photopenad (13 light: 11 dark vs 3 light: 21 dark) did not have a significant effect on growth or survival of ablated or intact lobsters. The optimal digestible energy levels and protein/energy ratio for the greatest growth in both ablated and intact lobsters were 3.7 to 3.8 (kcal/g dry) and 0.12 [g protein/(kcal/g)], respectively. The best feed conversion ratios (0.97 and 1.40 diet given/weight gain) for ablated and intact lobsters were obtained with diets containing 3.83 kcal/g and 3.63 kcal/g diet, respectively. The present study also demonstrated that crab protein served as a good protein source for intact and ablated lobsters.