| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Astacidea |
| Superfamily: | Astacoidea Latreille, 1802 Parastacoidea |
About:
The Blue Knight Lobster is from the rivers and streams of New Guinea, and is one of the larger species of crayfish attaining a total length of up to 12". Their colors can vary from a brilliant blue to a bluish brown coloration, and they have relatively small claws for their size. They will rarely hunt for fish as they are generally too slow to catch the latter.
Provide a freshwater aquarium of at least 50 gallons with plenty of rocks, and a substrate with a moderate grain size or finer for the Blue Knight Lobster to burrow in. They can be aggressive towards their own kind, and require plenty of room for territories, and a larger aquarium will be needed if housing more than one. When housing more than one, provide at least 40 gallons per Lobster and include plenty of cover including both rocks and plants.
It is very difficult to differentiate between the sexes of these crayfish, and we will not be able to pair them for sale. They are relatively easy to breed in captivity, and the eggs hatch in about 21 days. After hatching, the fry can be fed flake or pellet foods, and should be separated in order to keep them from eating each other.
These Lobsters are omnivorous, and will act as a scavenger in the aquarium, eating any food that comes to rest on the bottom. Supplement their diet with a quality sinking pellet, flake food and dried algae.
Redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus, is a species of freshwater crayfish. The texture and flavor of the flesh compares very favorably with other commonly eaten marine crustaceans, and having the appearance of a lobster, is positioned at the premium end of the crustacean market spectrum.
Fresh redclaw have a smooth lustrous shell, deep blue to green in color, with males exhibiting a bright red coloring on the margins of their large claws. Cooked, they present as bright red, typical of premium crustaceans.
The meat is arguably more healthy than traditional seafood products as it is low in fat, cholesterol and salt.
Compatibility:
With the small crayfish (such as Cambarellus), you can keep neon tetras, mollies, platies, swordtails and small catfish like Ancistrus.
With the bigger crayfish (like Cherax destructor), you can keep small fish as well as bigger fish like Aulonocaraand Pseudotropheus (Malawi and Tanganyika cichlid fish ), catfish like Ancistrus, Gibbiceps, South American cichlid fish, barbs, goldfish and labyrinth fish.
Normally the crayfish’s claws are too big and heavy to allow them to catch small, fast fish. One factor to keep in mind: When you buy a crayfish and put it in the tank, the fish will normally need about two or three days to get used to the fact that they are now sharing space with a creature that can catch them.
Crayfish are omnivorous. They eat plants and plant matter, detritus and wood, roots and, in many caves, bat guano. They are predators that hunt small invertebrates, such as snails, mussels, leeches and worms, and will eat their own kind on occasion. In the aquarium, they will eat all offered foods, including frozen red worms, snails, mussels, shrimp, krill and artemia; fresh carrots, corn and cucumbers (try nearly any vegetable); and all kinds of dried foods, such as flakes, wafers and tablets. They’ll sometimes eat fish and plants (frogs, too), but fish are seldom eaten because crayfish normally are not able to catch healthy animals. Injured, sick or recently killed fish and amphibians, however, are a welcome treat and eagerly eaten by crayfish.
Breeding Florida Lobsters:
Procambarus alleni, especially the blue form, is very popular in home aquariums. Here’s what to expect if you have a pair.
 The Florida lobster (Procambarus alleni) lives in standing waters within its native habitat. The blue form (see photo on page 32) is especially popular with hobbyists. |
Mating begins with the male grabbing the female with a claw and trying to flip her onto her side or back. The hooks on the base of the male’s legs are then used as claspers, fitting onto the legs of the female. The male’s sperm tube will then push through a crevice in one of his pleopods, and sperm is released and deposited in the female’s analus ventralis (a kind of pocket used to hold the sperm) with the tip of the male’s other pleopod. Mating takes about 15 minutes. Usually within hours afterward, the female starts to clean the setal fringes on her abdomen and begins to lay eggs.
The eggs remain suspended on the female’s underside, where they are kept free of debris and oxygenated by the constant movements of her swimmerettes. During this time, the female rarely leaves her hideout, and eats little or not at all.
After about three weeks, the young crayfish leave the female and move around the aquarium freely.
Young crayfish should be housed in an aquarium with a large surface area and many hiding places (in my aquariums, I use clay bricks with holes). Some young may be eaten by their siblings, but if the young are fed several times a day, losses should be minimal.
Species:
Shufeld’s Dwarf Crayfish
(Cambarellus shufeldtii)
Description: This is a small red-brown or gray crayfish with dark horizontal bands or loosely arranged dots in rows. There are two forms of C. shufeldtii in both sexes: a striped and a spotted or marbled form. Their claws are small, elongate and smooth. The spiny warts found on the claws of many North American species are absent. With a maximum age of 15 to 18 months, the males get older than the females but also take longer to reach sexual maturity.
Range: Distributed from the Gulf Coast of south central Texas to southwestern Alabama, and north along the Mississippi River to Lincoln County, Missouri
Adult size: 1.5 inches
Aquarium conditions: Their small size and minimal aggression make this species ideal aquarium inhabitants that may be kept with plants and fish (neon tetras, mollies, guppies, platies, swordtails and small catfish like Ancistrusspp.) They can be kept without a heater.
Notes: Females live up to one year, during which time they may lay eggs twice, carrying them for about three weeks. The average number of eggs is between 30 and 40.
Range: Distributed from the Gulf Coast of south central Texas to southwestern Alabama, and north along the Mississippi River to Lincoln County, Missouri
Adult size: 1.5 inches
Aquarium conditions: Their small size and minimal aggression make this species ideal aquarium inhabitants that may be kept with plants and fish (neon tetras, mollies, guppies, platies, swordtails and small catfish like Ancistrusspp.) They can be kept without a heater.
Notes: Females live up to one year, during which time they may lay eggs twice, carrying them for about three weeks. The average number of eggs is between 30 and 40.
Orange Dwarf Crayfish
(Cambarellus patzcuarensis)
(Cambarellus patzcuarensis)
Description: This much sought-after species, recently imported from Europe to the U.S., is orange with two stripes along the side.
Range: Endemic in a lake of volcanic origin 9,186 to 9,842 feet above sea level in the northern part of the Mexican state of Morelos; the surrounding vegetation at the Laguna de Zempoala is alpine and is the only place the species is found.
Adult size: 1.6 inches
Aquarium conditions: Larger fish, such as cichlid fish and eels, will eat the young of this crayfish (and sometimes the adults, too). Tetras, livebearers and dwarf cichlid fish are ideal community fish to keep with orange dwarf crayfish. They can be kept without a heater.
Range: Endemic in a lake of volcanic origin 9,186 to 9,842 feet above sea level in the northern part of the Mexican state of Morelos; the surrounding vegetation at the Laguna de Zempoala is alpine and is the only place the species is found.
Adult size: 1.6 inches
Aquarium conditions: Larger fish, such as cichlid fish and eels, will eat the young of this crayfish (and sometimes the adults, too). Tetras, livebearers and dwarf cichlid fish are ideal community fish to keep with orange dwarf crayfish. They can be kept without a heater.
Red Claw
(Cherax quadricarinatus)
(Cherax quadricarinatus)
Description: Adults of this species are easily recognized by the elongate, bubblelike growths on the claws of males. Their color can be blue-green or blue to almost black, with yellow spots on the carapace. Yellow lines and pink spots appear on the abdomen.
Range: Northern Australia, where it inhabits the rivers of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory
Adult size: 8.5 inches
Aquarium conditions: This larger species requires a tank that is at least 40 inches long and 20 inches deep. It breeds at temperatures of 72 to 90 degrees. If the temperature continues to rise, they will stop breeding but are able to survive in well-oxygenated water up to 95 degrees. If the water temperature remains below 55 for extended periods of time, this crayfish will die.
Notes: In nature, Cherax quadricarinatus are often found under roots or rocks, where they hide from predators and other species members. Females are very productive, maturing after about one year, and may breed three times annually, laying 500 to 1,500 eggs. The eggs are carried under the abdomen for 45 days until the young hatch. Wild red claws feed mostly on detritus and small water organisms living in the layers of leaves and plant material on the bottom of lakes and ponds.
Range: Northern Australia, where it inhabits the rivers of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory
Adult size: 8.5 inches
Aquarium conditions: This larger species requires a tank that is at least 40 inches long and 20 inches deep. It breeds at temperatures of 72 to 90 degrees. If the temperature continues to rise, they will stop breeding but are able to survive in well-oxygenated water up to 95 degrees. If the water temperature remains below 55 for extended periods of time, this crayfish will die.
Notes: In nature, Cherax quadricarinatus are often found under roots or rocks, where they hide from predators and other species members. Females are very productive, maturing after about one year, and may breed three times annually, laying 500 to 1,500 eggs. The eggs are carried under the abdomen for 45 days until the young hatch. Wild red claws feed mostly on detritus and small water organisms living in the layers of leaves and plant material on the bottom of lakes and ponds.
The Marron
(Cherax tenuimanus)
(Cherax tenuimanus)
Description: Australian breeders have told me the blue variant of this crayfish is an albino, while the normal color is brown or black. Recently a new subspecies was discovered, one with a carapace that’s covered with fine hairs on top (this subspecies varies genetically from C. tenuimanus and may soon be described as a new species [pers. comm., Chris Austin]).
Range: West Australia from the Murray River on south to the Kent River (near the city of Albany) as well as north to the Chapman River (near the city of Generaltown) and southeast in the rivers around Esperance
Adult size: 15 inches and up to 4 pounds
Aquarium conditions: With this species, temperature, population density and food availability are important factors to determine growth. It is sensitive to higher temperatures, so the aquarium should be placed where temperatures do not exceed 80 degrees (ideal temperatures are 60 to 72). The tank should be at least 60 inches long by 20 inches deep, and it should be well oxygenated. In nature, mass die-offs of this species have been recorded when temperatures rise above 80 degrees during the summer. Cherax tenuimanus are solitary animals that are very aggressive toward their own kind. When they are fed, a social hierarchy can be observed. The larger, dominant animals feed first, resulting in them growing even faster. Keeping these crayfish together is difficult because the larger ones always threaten to eat the smallest of the group.
Notes: Breeding this species is difficult. Females begin to breed in their third year of life, rarely in their second. A very high dissolved oxygen content is important during the breeding season. The number of eggs for a small female is around 90, while larger females can carry up to 900.
Range: West Australia from the Murray River on south to the Kent River (near the city of Albany) as well as north to the Chapman River (near the city of Generaltown) and southeast in the rivers around Esperance
Adult size: 15 inches and up to 4 pounds
Aquarium conditions: With this species, temperature, population density and food availability are important factors to determine growth. It is sensitive to higher temperatures, so the aquarium should be placed where temperatures do not exceed 80 degrees (ideal temperatures are 60 to 72). The tank should be at least 60 inches long by 20 inches deep, and it should be well oxygenated. In nature, mass die-offs of this species have been recorded when temperatures rise above 80 degrees during the summer. Cherax tenuimanus are solitary animals that are very aggressive toward their own kind. When they are fed, a social hierarchy can be observed. The larger, dominant animals feed first, resulting in them growing even faster. Keeping these crayfish together is difficult because the larger ones always threaten to eat the smallest of the group.
Notes: Breeding this species is difficult. Females begin to breed in their third year of life, rarely in their second. A very high dissolved oxygen content is important during the breeding season. The number of eggs for a small female is around 90, while larger females can carry up to 900.
Miami Cave Crayfish(Procambarus milleri)
Description: Color varies from intense orange to yellow-orange; even young exhibit orange coloration. Unlike the closely related P. alleni, the males of which have the longer claws, male and female P. milleri have equally long claws. The bright orange color of this crayfish is most impressive in aquariums with dark gravel and subdued lighting. It is an ideal species for aquarists who are interested in keeping a colorful crustacean in a community tank with fish.
Range: Miami, Florida
Adult size: 3 inches
Aquarium conditions: The temperature for this species should be between 68 and 86 degrees, and water should be slightly alkaline and hard. They have not been observed to display the aggression or territorial defenses of other crayfish. Even in densely populated breeding tanks, this species is more tolerant toward its own kind than other species. They are also more tolerant of other species.
Notes: This species may breed all year long; the female will attach several dozen to 100 (depending on her size) large black eggs to her abdomen. The young may be raised in the same tank as the parents, provided that there are no fish in the aquarium that will eat them.
Description: Color varies from intense orange to yellow-orange; even young exhibit orange coloration. Unlike the closely related P. alleni, the males of which have the longer claws, male and female P. milleri have equally long claws. The bright orange color of this crayfish is most impressive in aquariums with dark gravel and subdued lighting. It is an ideal species for aquarists who are interested in keeping a colorful crustacean in a community tank with fish.
Range: Miami, Florida
Adult size: 3 inches
Aquarium conditions: The temperature for this species should be between 68 and 86 degrees, and water should be slightly alkaline and hard. They have not been observed to display the aggression or territorial defenses of other crayfish. Even in densely populated breeding tanks, this species is more tolerant toward its own kind than other species. They are also more tolerant of other species.
Notes: This species may breed all year long; the female will attach several dozen to 100 (depending on her size) large black eggs to her abdomen. The young may be raised in the same tank as the parents, provided that there are no fish in the aquarium that will eat them.
I hope this introduction to crayfish has piqued your interest in these incredible animals. Give your crayfish a proper home, and they are sure to provide you with much enjoyment.
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