One of the great things about Procambarus clarkii is that these guys are so hardy. Setting up a ghost crayfish aquarium Requirements The difference between males and females is visible if you know what to look for they can be sexed by looking at their undersides, as males have an extra pair of swimmers. Totally blue Procambarus clarkiis are called Electric Blue crayfish.Īt a maximum size of 4.5", this is definitely not a dwarf crayfish. However, they can also be cream and orange, cream and red, cream and blue and even fully white (although that's usually referred to as a White Specter). The classic "tricolor" ghost crayfish usually has a blueish head and blue to red claws and tail tip. Each one has different colors and patterns! Their body base color is off-white rather than brown, but other than that you never know what you're going to get. Their appearance is what it's all about with ghost crayfish! Regular Procambarus clarkii crays are already quite nice to look at, with a brownish body and red extremities, but the ghosts really are something else. It was found the crayfish have a taste for these snails, thereby reducing the spread of the disease. Here, snails from the ramshorn family carry and spread parasitic flatworms that cause a disease called schistosomiasis. Aquarium critters should never be released, especially crayfish.ĭid you know? One example of Procambarus clarkii's potential to invade pretty much any ecosystem being used in a positive manner comes from East Africa. It also means that you should take great care to prevent your ghost crayfish from getting out into the wild. You clearly don't have to be an aquarium expert in order to keep one of these crayfish: they're considered practically indestructible, so they're tolerant to the occasional beginner mistake. Well, first off, all of it is actually pretty good news for us aquarists. You may be wondering why we're telling you all this. Ability to adapt to different predators.Spreads "crayfish plague" which kills off native species.Reasons for the species' rapid spread, according to this paper, include: As discussed in multiple scientific studies, among which a comprehensive one from 2006 that looks into Procambarus clarkii's invasion of Europe, they are now the "dominant macroinvertebrate" in several countries. Unsurprisingly, as with a bunch of other crays, this has already happened in some places. You can drop a few of these crays pretty much anywhere and they'll survive and multiply, potentially causing great damage to the local ecosystem as a result. Its hardiness and capacity to survive anywhere give Procambarus clarkii dangerous potential as an invasive species. If you know a thing or two about crayfish, you'll be aware that all of the above taken together presents a bit of a perfect storm. They're easy to catch and farm, and they're the main ingredient in a traditional crawfish boil. Secondly, it's able to tolerate lightly brackish (salt) water, which comes in very handy in estuaries and areas that regularly flood with seawater during storms.ĭid you know? The red swamp crayfish is one of the species of crays that's commonly eaten. If its habitat dries up, it just digs into the substrate below and stays there until the rainy season rolls back around. First off, like many other crayfish species, it has the capacity to burrow. This crayfish has a few characteristics that make it particularly resistant. you name it, Procambarus clarkii lives in it. They're considered extremely hardy and can survive in stagnant, dirty waters that few other creatures can thrive in. This being said, the wild-colored "original" version is called Procambarus clarkii, and it's common in the northern parts of Mexico and the south(eastern) USA.Īlso known as the red swamp crayfish, crawfish, crawdad or mudbug, this invertebrate can be found in pretty much any warm, slow-moving aquatic habitat you can think of. That's because it's man-made: their patterns are the result of selective breeding for attractive color variations. Technically speaking, the ghost crayfish doesn't exist in the wild. Ghost crayfish natural habitat & appearance Natural habitat Ghost crayfish natural habitat & appearance.
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