Species of Freshwater Crayfish for Aquariums

Freshwater crayfish, sometimes called freshwater lobsters in the aquarium trade, have become more popular as new color varieties and species are available. These invertebrates make interesting aquarium additions, although they eat any aquarium pet they can catch. Each species has its own unique color varieties, temperaments and care requirements. Most are easy to keep in an aquarium.

  1. Procambarus

    • Procambarus crayfish are naturally brown with red highlights.

      Crayfish of the genus Procambarus are on the small size for crayfish at 5 inches. These crayfish are native to the United States. They are peaceful but should not be trusted with slow, bottom-dwelling fish. Breeders have fixed strains of various colors, including red, blue and the wild-type brown. Keep them in aquariums of at least 20 gallons per crayfish.

    Cherax

    • One black strain of Cherax is called the black scorpion lobster.

      Cherax crayfish are larger than Procambarus. Crayfish in this genus reach up to a foot in length. They are recommended for larger fish tanks with at least 40 to 50 gallons of space per crayfish. This group hails from Australia to New Guinea. They are usually too slow to catch most fish. These have been bred into various color strains including blue, red, white and black.

    Cambarellus Patzcuarensis

    • These crayfish are bright orange.

      These dwarf crayfish are native to Mexico. They are very small, 2 inches at the largest. The original wild type is a drab brown, but aquarists have selectively bred a bright-orange strain. This crayfish is popular for nano tanks, very small fish tanks of less than six gallons. They are much less destructive towards plants and fish than other crayfish. They also tolerate a range of aquarium conditions.

    Cambarellus Shufeldtii

    • These crayfish are well suited for very small aquariums.

      The Cajun dwarf crayfish colors are more drab than their close relative, C. patzcuarensis. They have a more subtle, spotted and striped pattern to their bodies. They are interesting, small and nondestructive. This makes them ideal for nano tanks when the aquarist prefers a more natural look than their bright-orange relatives.