Red Claw Crayfish Breeding Guide

Breeding the Australian Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus): sexing by the male's red claw patch, 300–800 eggs per brood carried on the pleopods, ~6-week incubation and direct development.

Overview

Cherax quadricarinatus, the Australian Red Claw crayfish, is a large parastacid that can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) and 600 grams (21 oz). It is both an aquaculture species and a large-aquarium animal, very tolerant of environmental changes; commercial farms harvest it at sizes around 35–130 grams.

Sexing

Sexing is straightforward in mature animals: adult males have a distinct red patch on the outer margin of the claws, while females lack it and are smaller than males. This conspicuous red claw marking is the species' namesake feature.

Conditioning

Maturity and harvestable size are reached somewhere between six and twelve months under optimal farmed conditions, so vigorous, well-fed adults are best for breeding. The species tolerates a wide range of conditions, which makes conditioning relatively forgiving in a stable, warm tank.

Berried Female & Young

After mating, the male deposits a spermatophore and the female spawns 300–800 olive-green eggs per brood, which attach to her pleopods on the underside of the tail. Incubation takes approximately six weeks, after which the newly hatched juveniles rapidly become independent; there is no free-swimming larval stage.

Juvenile Care

Because broods are large, juveniles need plenty of space and cover to limit cannibalism as they grow. They are omnivorous and grow readily on prepared and natural foods, reaching harvest weights of 35–130 grams in farmed settings.