Growth of burrowing crayfish Parastacus pugnax (Poeppig, 1835) determined by marking technique

A modified tag belt type was used in the burrowing crayfish (Parastacus pugnax), in the central-south of Chile. The parameters asymptotic carapace length (Lc(infinity)) and rate of increase (K) were determined through the Gulland & Holt (1959) method. The parameter t(0) was determined by the inverse equation of von Bertalanffy model, which allowed to establish that the growth curves in length and weight are defined by the parameters K = 0.35 mm yr(-1), t(0) = -0.38 years, Lc(infinity) = 55.9 mm and W-infinity = 83.8 g. These values were similar to those of Samastacus spinifrons, Chilean species with high potential for aquaculture, and similar to those of other South American parastacids such as P. brasiliensis and P. deffosus.