XXL noble crayfish - Astacus astacus

The European noble crayfish Astacus astacus is native to our country and can therefore be kept very well in sufficiently large garden ponds with a depth of over 1 m. In nature, the populations of the noble crayfish are highly endangered and in some places already extinct. In former times Astacus astacus was a popular edible crayfish. The noble crayfish is particularly threatened not only by increasing environmental pollution, but also by the spread of North American crayfish, which not only dispute its habitat, but also transmit the crayfish plague, which is deadly for all European, Australian/New Zealand and Asian crayfish. This disease, caused by a parasite, is also the reason why crayfish kept in aquariums or garden ponds never come into contact with North American crayfish or even the water in which they are kept. It is best to keep noble crayfish in a species tank, possibly together with dwarf shrimp of the genus Neocaridina. Snails are a suitable additional stock, but they are eaten. Small native fish like bitterlings are a good stocking in the noble crayfish aquarium.

The noble crayfish grows up to 15 cm long without claws, males can even reach 18 cm body length. With its powerful, warty claws the noble crayfish looks very impressive. Its brown body color is an optimal camouflage in nature.  

The sexes of the noble crayfish can be easily distinguished. On the underside of males you can clearly see the V-shaped mating styli (gonopods), to which the first two pairs of webbed legs are transformed. Females have two small openings at the origin of their 2nd pair of walking legs. Under the abdomen of the females you can see five swimming legs, in the males there are only three.

We recommend for a pair an aquarium from 100 cm length, which must be very well structured, so that the animals can avoid each other. Astacus astacus digs intensively (secure decoration against tipping over!) and eats plants. The aquarium must be cooled strongly over the winter. Only if the water is below 10 °C (but above 4 °C) for several months, the crayfish will grow old and reproduce successfully. If the temperature is too high, the noble crayfish will die much earlier. In nature they can live between 15 and 20 years, in warm aquariums it is sometimes only several months!

Astacus astacus becomes sexually mature only at the age of three and reproduces only once a year. Mating takes place in the fall, females carry their 70 to 200 eggs under their abdomen from November to May/June, only then do the young crabs hatch. During this time the female is extremely susceptible to disturbance. If kept in an aquarium, one should consider keeping them singly. In a sufficiently large garden pond this is not necessary.

The young crayfish of Astacus astacus are quite cannibalistic and therefore need a large number of hiding places. In addition to clay crayfish burrows, siporax tubes, perforated bricks and the like are optimal. A thick layer of brown foliage not only gives noble crayfish cover, but also provides them with a naturally valuable food source.

In addition to autumn leaves, the omnivorous Astacus astacus likes to eat special crayfish food and fish food from the trade, but also frozen food and fresh, over-scalded green food or vegetables (always very well washed and if possible peeled unsprayed). A varied feeding is very important for the noble crayfish.

supplied in the size:  10-15 cm

Our food recommendation: Freshwater crayfish have a varied diet in the wild. The Natureholic Crayfish Feed Sticks contain in a biologically balanced form only those ingredients which are part of the natural food spectrum of these crayfish in this or a similar form. 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 predominantly to plant food.