blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

[Krisvalkyrie]

I have a blue critter.  It wasn't labeled on the tank - some places call them blue lobsters (FG has them for 40.00) and some blue crayfish.  I bought mine for 12.99 at FRII, and I have no idea which one it is.  I have been reading websites, and just get more confused the more I read.  I have a slight disadvantage in identification in that it is missing one of its claws (but I understand they grow back?)  

Since few LFS's use scientific names for the fish and invertebrates I often end up more confused than not.

How do I figure out which one I have?

Kris

[Nickintex]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

a very light blue or electric blue with no other colors are Florida crawfish.
A dark blue wih a few red spots on the tail and a red (or pink) stripe on the underside of the claws are Australian Red claw crawfish (or "yabbies" as they are called there).
Don't fall for the "lobster" moniker. If it is in freshwater, its a crayfish/crawfish/crawdad/mudbug, etc
BTW, you live close by. If you are ever interested in HAS or GHAC, we could carpool!

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

I would be rather interested in going to the ghac meeting in June.  

Mine is blue and purple.  Very pretty.

Kris

[Nickintex]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

I'm on Braeswood and 610.

[Spot86t]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

I would be rather interested in going to the ghac meeting in June.  

Mine is blue and purple.  Very pretty.

Kris

Yours is probably a Cherax Quadricarinatus - an Austrailian native who eventually may reach up to 12" or so.  Much slower growers and longer lived than the Florida natives who typically stay under 6" and live usually around 3-4 years.  In Australia they call them blue lobster, and also Redclaw lobster - 'lobster' used probably due to the size.  Redclaw comes from the fact that as the male grows, he will eventually have a red slash on the side of his claws.  This is a soft spot and won't harden after a molt like the rest of his shell will.  Females lack this red slash.  They can range from a pale to a dark blue, usually with pink/purplish markings easily noticed on the tail.  The shape of the claws is different from the Floridians, and there are 4 raised ridges on top of the head - that's where the "Quad" in the name comes from.  The Florida ones are called Electric blue crayfish, but the electric part has now been used interchangeably between them.  If you compare them side by side, there is no doubt as to which one is really the electric blue one.  The Florida one (Procambarus Alleni) never attains the red slash.

Hope you can make it to the meeting - there more, the better!

[nacra99]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Unfortunately common names are quite misleading nowadays. There are many species of crayfish that have blue morphs, hence IMO i think people should identify them with common name and scientific name.

Very (very) loosely, the Cherax species tend to be called "lobsters". It's probable that your's is some sorta Cherax.

A better way to ID is to post a pic and let everyone chime in  :wink:

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

well - I will be re-setting up my 30 gal tonight or tomorrow night and I will get a picture of everyone then.  I will post  the little blue guy and hear what y'all have to say :)

Thanks for the responses so far...

Kris

[Spot86t]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Here's a pic of one of my Australian Cherax Quadricarinatus male.  He's named Macgyver due to his sneaky escape skills.  I don't have a pic of "Blindie" - another male, who is much more pale in color.


Here's a pic of one of my female Florida Procambarus Alleni (these are the ones that started the term "Electric Blue").  She had 372 babies tucked under her tail (including the one sitting on top of her tail in the pic!) - and yes, I counted them all as I removed them from the tank over a 2 week period.

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Ok, I have a female of the second variety.  The top picture looks nothing like my blue one.

I just finished re-setting up the 30 and moved her today and saw nothing to indicate male, so I think it is a female (and the missing claw makes a bit of sense if what I am following in some of the threads is remembered accurately)

I took some pictures and will post.

[Jose]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Maybe a Cherax Destructor? Found it on aquascapeonline.

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish



That is her.  I finally finished making the 30 gallon pretty and traumatized the poor things by catching them for the third or 4th time in a couple weeks, but they made themselves right at home seconds later - they really love the set up in the tank.

Kris

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Here is attempt #2 to send out the picture.

[nacra99]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish

Yeah... myspace doesn't work very well here.
try photobucket.

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish



Let's see if this image works.  Not used to posting images to message boards, so I am a little clueless.

Kris

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: blue "lobster" vs. blue crayfish/ molting

By the way, never having seen a crawfish molt before, I was in a panic when I got home.  I saw what looked like her corpse laying in the middle of the tank, and thought - OMG my fish killed my poor crawfish!  Then I remembered that they are about an inch long, laughed and looked for where she was hiding.

How long do they stay soft when they molt?  She is missing a claw, and I was told it would grow back when she molted, but it is still missing.  She is now pretty purple though...

Kris