Cancer pagurus (Linnaeus, 1758) physiological responses to simulated live transport: Influence of temperature, air exposure and AQUI-S®

Cancer pagurus is a commercially important crab, mostly appreciated in Southern European countries, including Portugal, being usually live transported from UK and France. Once in Portugal, crabs are redistributed across the country in small refrigerated vivier lorries in air or immersed conditions, while some are sent exposed to air to the Azores archipelago with mortality reaching 40–60%. In order to optimise transport conditions and survival, simulated live transport of immersed and air exposed crabs sedated or not with an anaesthetic, AQUI-S®, was tested at different temperatures. It was found that crabs experienced stress during the experiment (with increased l-lactate, d-glucose and lowered pH), but with different magnitudes according to temperature, treatment and transport duration, resulting in 100% mortalities at 16 °C in immersed conditions and when exposed to air with AQUI-S®. Results indicate that long duration transport in semi-dry conditions is viable at low temperatures (8 °C), while immersed transport is viable at 12 °C. AQUI-S® was not an efficient solution at low temperatures in semi-dry conditions, but for short duration transport in immersed conditions at 16 °C it was the only treatment without mortality.