Redclaw Crayfish

About

The redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) is one of the larger freshwater invertebrates you can keep, native to the rivers and wetlands of northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Males are easy to pick out by the bright red or orange patch along the outer edge of each claw, hence the name, while females tend to be a more uniform blue-green to olive brown. These are robust, active animals that spend a good deal of time exploring the bottom, rearranging substrate, and claiming territory, so don't be surprised if your tank gets redecorated regularly. They're capable diggers and will uproot plants given the chance, so either go with hardy, well-anchored species or skip live plants altogether. Redclaws can be kept with fish, but they'll opportunistically snag anything slow enough to catch, so choose tankmates carefully. Fast-moving midwater fish tend to fare better than slow bottom-dwellers. Despite their size and assertiveness, they're considered a forgiving choice for newer keepers, tolerating a reasonable range of water conditions without much fuss. Provide plenty of caves or pipe sections for shelter, especially during molting, when they're temporarily vulnerable and may be targeted by tankmates.