EVALUATION OF TRAP DENSITY AND TYPE FOR HARVESTING CRAWFISH PROCAMBARUS SPP. FROM SMALL PONDS

Harvested crawfish were stocked into 0.15-ha earthen ponds in March an d May at rates of 114, 227, and 455 kg/ha to evaluate the effects of t rap density, 27 and 54 traps/ha, on their recapture over 14 d followin g 3 d of acclimation. Two-funnel, stand-up pillow traps and three-funn el pyramid traps were compared. About 39% and 55% of stocked crawfish were recovered in March and May, respectively. There was considerable growth of those crawfish. Overall catch with both trap densities was e quivalent in March but the higher trap density caught 1.3 times more c rawfish in May. Pyramid traps caught 1.5-1.9 times more crawfish than pillow traps.