Scarface crayfish - Procambarus ouachitae

Procambarus ouachitae, the Scarface crayfish, originates from Mississippi and Arkansas in the USA. Its pattern is unusually beautiful: its carapace is reddish-beige with broad dark brown stripes, on the abdomen it has broad light brown to reddish and narrow dark brown transverse stripes. Legs are bluish to brown, claws are beige with dark spots and dark tips. Procambarus ouachitae does not have a German trivial name yet, in its native country in the USA it is called Scarface (scarface) Crayfish. Procambarus ouachitae grows up to a body length of 10 cm (without claws). Males of Procambarus ouachitae are very easy to distinguish from females because they have two arrow-shaped sexual appendages on the ventral side pointing forward between the walking legs.

Procambarus ouachitae is predominantly diurnal. Like most American crayfish, it likes to burrow. Decorative items must be secured so that they do not tip against the glass or bury the crayfish when the Scarface crayfish digs. The best way to do this is to place them on the bottom plate, not on the substrate. Procambarus ouachitae is relatively peaceful and compatible and can be kept in pairs or in a small group with excess females in a sufficiently spacious and diversely furnished aquarium.

Adult Procambarus ouachitae feed predominantly on foliage and detritus in the wild. In the aquarium they also like vegetables like pumpkin and peas as well as nettles and other green food, they also eat animal food (snails, frozen food, raw fish and freeze-dried insects) from time to time. The Scarface crayfish also likes to eat ready-made crayfish food. Young crayfish need significantly more protein.

A pair can live in an aquarium from 60 cm edge length. The lid must close without gaps, as crayfish are very good climbers and will find any gap when they want to wander. The temperature in the aquarium should be 18 to 24 °C. Procambarus ouachitae does not like too soft water with neutral pH. Hiding places in the form of caves, clay tubes, roots and rocks are important for the Scarface Crayfish to provide cover for pregnant females and freshly molted crayfish. Soft plants may eventually be pinched off or eaten.

Procambarus ouachitae socializes well with less curious small to medium sized fish and dwarf shrimp - provided they have the same water parameter requirements. Snails are eaten by Procambarus ouachitae. These crayfish must not be allowed in the wild! As a North American crayfish, Procambarus ouachitae can possibly transmit the crayfish plague, to which it is immune itself. The pathogen is an algal fungus that kills all crayfish from continents other than the American. Therefore, Procambarus ouachitae should not be allowed to come into contact with them.

Procambarus ouachitae reproduces quite well under good conditions. After the mating act, the females squeeze out their eggs and attach them to their swimming legs, where they nurse them until the young crabs hatch. This takes between 3 and 6 weeks. In the rearing tank, the young crayfish need fall foliage and good structures of roots and rocks, with tubes and other hiding places. This increases their survival rate tremendously.

Our food recommendation: Freshwater crayfish have a very varied diet in the wild. The Natureholic Crayfish Feed Sticks contain in a biologically balanced form only those ingredients that these crayfish in this or similar form to their natural food spectrum. This naturally supports and promotes moulting, growth and reproduction. Due to their protein content they are ideally suited for omnivorous crayfish of the genera Procambarus, Cambarus, Cambarellus, Astacus and the Cherax crayfish from Australia, which are basically omnivores that like to eat animal as well as vegetable food. The crayfish of the genus Cherax from Papua also like to eat a portion of animal food when they are young, but later they switch mainly to plant food.

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 for fish keeping 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.