Crustacean Mating

While doing some work on the aquaponic tanks, I stumbled upon some “activity” by the crayfish. This is good news, not only because I will have some crayfish in a couple of months, but also because it says that the environment is not only good enough to survive, but also to thrive.

This is not so hard; you just need a good biological filter and you are good to go. The filter is external because this aquaponic system does not use substrate. The crayfish tank has been operating for a year by now. The image is a little blurry, but they are underwater and I couldn’t make too much moves without disturbing them.

Mating is a long process for crayfish, so I didn’t want to risk interrupting their business. Male crayfish have two special pair of articulations that are used to place a sperm package in the female, which will keep it viable for several weeks.

When the time comes, the female will fertilize the eggs with the sperm capsule. The eggs will be carried by the female until they hatch. The young crayfish will be born as a miniature adult and eventually will flee their home, since mommy can have a good lunch with them.

Rearing crayfish with aquaponics seems to be a simple thing, but I had never had baby crayfish, so I can’t say for sure. However, I’m confident that they will grow to feed my table. Anyway, it is worth mentioning that crowds don’t seem to embarrass these guys.

Some fish, like Tilapia, need to have a territory, fight for it and choose a female. They can get quite aggressive in that stage. Crayfish don’t seem to care about peeping toms, so they make things a los easier. Right now I have 12 crayfish in a 50 gallon tank, and the idea is to have more, but the little creek does not have many of them.

Fortunately, breeding in captivity raises the odds to have a lot of them available. Procambarus Clarkii crayfish have a short life span, but have a lot of younglings in the meantime, making them an excellent aquaponic guest. Just provide them with enough places to hide and they will be happy. Although you can make them with rocks and the like, I use PVC pipes. They are easy to cut, cheap and light, but that is up to you.

So, find some crayfish and see what you can do with them. They eat the same things like fish and are fun to watch at night.

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