Redclaw Crayfish

The redclaw crayfish is native to freshwater rivers, lakes, and billabongs of northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea. Mature males develop a distinctive patch of red or orange coloring on the outer edge of their claws, the feature that gives the species its common name, while females and juveniles lack the marking. It tolerates a wide range of water temperatures and qualities, grows quickly, and reaches a large size compared to many other freshwater crayfish, all traits that have made it one of the most widely farmed crayfish species in the world. Aquaculture operations raising the species now operate across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, well beyond its native Australian range. In the wild it is an omnivorous scavenger, feeding on plant matter, detritus, and small invertebrates on the beds of slow moving or still waters. Where it has escaped farmed ponds into new river systems outside its native range, it has established itself as an invasive species in local waterways.