Crayfish Id (pic Added)

[Corleone]

Ok, not too much info to go on here, but I saw him at the fish store today and put a hold deposit on him. I'd been planning to get a blue knight lobster next time they were in stock, but I saw this guy today and he was pretty impressive.

He's currently just over 3 inches long, and most of his body is bright, almost cherry red. He has rows of small bright white spikes on his claws and body. Not much info to go on, but I can't find anything quite like him online. The closest I could find was a picture of a Louisiana red swamp crayfish, which lacks the white and has a darker body.

He is an aggressive crayfish, and killed most of his tankmates (which included one of the blue knight's I wanted), which does fit the RSC, but also fits quite a few other species. I was planning to put him in a 20 long (where he'll definitely have to be alone), but want to get an idea if I'll need something bigger for him. He also raised his claws and threatened me through the glass, to the point of walking forward into the tank wall. That's why I decided to put the deposit on him, really - never seen a crayfish in the store interact so readily, even if he was trying to claw my eyes out.



Edit: Here's a picture and a story.


Best picture I could get. The lights on my quarantine tank suck for pictures, so I was juggling my webcam, the mouse, and the hood off an empty 10 gallon to take this picture. All the activity got him riled up into attack mode, so the only pictures I can get right now are going to be of his face with claws spread wide.

Anyway, the story: Something's wrong with my 20 gallon, possibly in the gravel that didn't come out in the rinse. Ammonia spiked rapidly, despite mature media. I pulled the crayfish out and got him in my quarantine tank (thankfully just vacated). That's why there's no substrate etc. Water quality is stable there.

 

[raptorrex]

i think it may be unlikely, but this fits the bill in all but colour.visit here i have seen them in blue, and one very small pic of a bright red one but that had black flanks. but then again, the swamp cray are known to turn red or blue if kept out of the muddy water too long. this is, apparently, well known in the trade!

check www,crayfishmates,com can't think of anywhere better to go!

 

[Corleone]

Definitely not that, the claws are more slender, and the spikes aren't pronounced - they're noticeable mostly because of the color contrast. Holy mother, I HOPE it's not that! That's almost as big as my cat. I don't know how I feel about having a six pound clawed leviathan in my living room. That thing could take an arm off.

My camera sucks, but when I get him home, I'll try and get some decent shots for a better ID.

Even if he IS a murray, I think I'll keep him. I've got a spare 55 gallon tank that should be almost big enough for him. I wouldn't look forward to trying to move him once he's got a couple pounds on him, though.

From what you said about swamp crays turning red, I'm leaning more towards that now.

 

[The-Wolf]

the only thing i can suggest is a visit here

good luck in IDing it

 

[Corleone]

Excellent site! Got about a half dozen likelies from it. Mosty in the genus Orconectes and Procambarus, one in Cambarus.

 

[raptorrex]

Excellent site! Got about a half dozen likelies from it. Mosty in the genus Orconectes and Procambarus, one in Cambarus.

careful with any id's you make from here the information, in many cases, is woefully inaccurate. pulse very bad pics. try REAL crayfish forums, like bluecrayfish or the one in my first post.

looking at your cray pic, its a Procambarus clarkii or red swamp crayfish.