How do Crawfish mate?

I have what I believe is a male and female crawfish. The male grabs the female and puts her on her back and holds her pinchers above her head with his pinchers. Then he does movements similar to what humans do, if you know what I mean. he just holds her down and stays on top of her being pretty still besides the tail movement he does. They do this all the time! The first time I freaked out and seperated them with a fish net but after watching the ritual I don't believe they are fighting, he doesn't seem to hurt her. I was reading and it said that the male produces a thing that looks like a raspberry which is the sperm but I have never seen him put out anything like this yet. And she doesn't have any noticeable eggs yet either. Anybody know what they are doing?

 

Welcome to the forum!

That's how it's done.

 

But isn't there suppose to be some type of raspberry sperm packet that I would be able to see? So far he hasn't produced anything like that and they have did this 3 times in my presence, twice in the past hour.

 

That I don't know. I'm not into breeding. Maybe they just haven't gotten it right yet?

 

I don't know either but I hope they pull it off! I want little baby crawfish, cute!

 

What will you do with them?

 

Well I am not sure... depending on how many babies she would have I was thinking I could set up my 10 gallon tank for just the crawfish if she did infact have babies. I can't leave them in the oscar tank because he would eat all of them.

 

They will eat each other in a 10 gallon, which isn't exactly a bad thing. You may only end up with a few rather than 20. Your oscar sure would like them though.

 

Well I don't know if they were mating now or not. They locked up together again then next time I looked my female was just laying on her back like she was dead and I flipped her over and she barely started moving. She is very lethargic and seems like she is on the brink of death. Poor thing seems like she doesn't even have the energy to move her claws. I would put her in the new 10 gallon betta tank but this tank has ick and I don't want my betta to get ick

 

Crayfish are immune to ich, as far as I know, because of the shell.

 

I put her in the old betta bowl with an air hose pumping oxygen. She is about to die, she fell off of the tree stump in the aquarium on her back and just laid there. I don't know how he killed her, it didn't look like they were fighting. The oscar and the barbs started hovering over her like they can smell her impending death and are waiting to eat her. I'm so sad, she was my favorite out of the whole tank. I'm taking the boy and chunking his butt in the river and hopefully a big bass eats him.

 

It's very irresponsible to release aquarium fish into the wild. The impact of introducing something into the ecosystem can be devestating. I know the risk may seem low, but I know that I am not qualified to make a call like that, and I'm willing to bet you aren't either.

 

Crawfish are native in our rivers here, my boyfriend takes traps and catches them for crawfish boils every other weekend. I don't see what the hurt would be since they are native, and he is definitely the same kind that we have here.

 

Crawfish are native in our rivers here, my boyfriend takes traps and catches them for crawfish boils every other weekend. I don't see what the hurt would be since they are native, and he is definitely the same kind that we have here.

What if he picked up some disease from you aquarium and now you are introducing it into the local waterway?
I understand the chance of that is very very low, but the fact is like Jaysee mentioned it is an irresponsible thing to do.
It doesn't matter if it is the same species of crawfish found in your local waters, it shouldn't be done.


Brian

 

It's not just invasive species that are an issue. It's also that you use chemicals in your tank, and your tank could have a disease that could effect the ecosystem. You just don't know. I agree with Jaysee that this would be a bad thing to do. In most places, it is also illegal.

edit:

 

Each aquarium is a closed ecosystem. Conversely, taking wild fish and putting them in your aquarium could kill off your stock.

 

Good advice from all above.
It's never wise to release(and in fact against the law in some places) aquarium animals into the wild. besides being detrimental to the environment it can be harmful to your crawfish since he is used to aquarium conditions not natural water conditions(water temp, ph, ) and may not even know how to hunt for food.
carol

 

Yes I see now, I was thinking about something else. I won't release him but I can't wait till my Oscar gets big enough to eat him

 

Hi,
is your female crayfish already dead now? I read that crayfish nearing to molt or are molting looks dead. She might not be dead after all.

 

not to chime in on a negative note, but you seem awfully mad at an animal for doing what it is designed to do.

 

not to chime in on a negative note, but you seem awfully mad at an animal for doing what it is designed to do.

+1. That's the risk that's run from keeping multiple crayfish in the same tank. It's not the crayfishs fault.

 

It's not the crayfish's fault, it is your responsibility to do research and expect and know what will happen. You should not be mad and hope the poot crayfish dies. That's sad you think that way.

 

pic of Red Swanp Crayfish mating

A pic of two Procambarus clarkiI (Red Swamp Crayfish) mating at the LFS. I ended up purchasing these two for my daughter Camila (she has something with Freshwater shrimps and crayfish).

Pepetj
Santo Domingo