Amethyst crayfish - Cherax cf. pulcher

The Amethyst Crayfish is very similar to Cherax pulcher, but its exact species affiliation has not yet been determined, therefore  we list it as Cherax cf. pulcher until a more accurate determination is made.

With a body length of 12 to 15 cm the Amethyst Crayfish grows to a rather medium size. The Amethyst Crayfish has dark purple to lighter reddish-purple dorsal coloration, blue legs, and purple-blue claws with lighter edges. Adult males have light beige claw blisters and their gonopores (sex openings) at the origin of the fifth pair of walking legs. You can recognize the females by the gonopores at the base of the third pair of legs.

Cherax cf. pulcher is a fairly peaceful crayfish and can be socialized well with dwarf shrimp. Whether the crayfish hunts fish, however, is always a matter of character, even with peaceful species. The socialization with fast, surface oriented fishes can work relatively well. With crayfish of other species or even from other continents, with crabs, fan shrimps and longarm shrimps, however, the Amethyst Crayfish should not be socialized because of incompatibility. You must be especially careful if you also keep North American crayfish, which can potentially transmit crayfish plague. The water in which these crayfish are kept can also carry the pathogen. Here you should pay attention to a very strict separation. You can keep the Cherax cf. pulcher in the aquarium with snails, but you should be aware that snails are part of the natural food plan of these crayfish and will definitely be eaten.

You can keep a pair of the really very magnificently colored Cherax cf. pulcher "Amethyst" in an aquarium with an edge length of 80 cm or more. An aquarium suitably furnished for the Amethyst crayfish must have a good structure and be furnished with hiding places like caves, roots and stones. Many Cherax cf. pulcher do not overeat plants, nor do they burrow heavily. They find hard-leaved plants such as anubias or congo fern growing on top of decorations very unattractive; floating plants are also a good way to green up a crayfish aquarium. Crayfish are escape artists and get through surprisingly small holes, so the aquarium really needs to be well covered!

Breeding Amethyst Crayfish is possible in a freshwater aquarium. The female carries her eggs relatively long, in about eight weeks, attached under the abdomen. The young crayfish remain under their mother's abdomen for several days after hatching. Compared to other crayfish species, the young crayfish grow rather slowly. In the breeding tank they need a lot of brown autumn leaves as permanent food and hiding place. In addition, the tannins in the foliage prevent the eggs from becoming fungal.

Foliage is also one of the preferred foods of old and young Cherax cf. pulcher, as well as other food of plant origin. Especially adult Cherax cf. pulcher will eat almost no animal food, and too much animal content in their diet can lead to molting problems. Juvenile Cherax cf. pulcher, on the other hand, still need a higher proportion of animal food in their diet. Besides vegetables, green food, foliage and frozen food/live food, special crayfish food is also well suited for feeding Cherax cf. pulcher.

Cherax cf. pulcher "Amethyst" lives in nature in rather soft to medium hard water with a high oxygen content. In the aquarium the water values do not play such a big role, oxygen is however also important in the aquarium. Good is a GH of over 6 and a pH between 6 and 7.5. The water temperature should not fall below 20 °C. At 25 °C is the comfort zone of the Amethyst Crayfish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend when keeping fish the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.