Australian red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, is a tropical
species found in the river systems of northern Queensland and the
Northern Territory, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Red claw have a
fast growth rate, are tolerant of a wide range of water temperatures, can
achieve high (600 g) maximum weights, are tolerant of crowded conditions,
do not have a larval stage which eliminates the need for expensive
118 JOURNAL OF APPLIED AQUACULTURE
hatcheries, and newly-hatched individuals can consume prepared diets
reducing or eliminating the need to feed live foods (Webster et al. 1994;
Masser and Rouse 1997). There are some difficulties in farming red
claw in the United States, especially production of crayfish in earthen
outdoor ponds. Water temperatures must be maintained between 23-32°C
to achieve maximum growth potential; water temperatures below 20°C
reduce growth rates while water temperatures below 10°C are lethal
causing a limitation for farmers in less temperate regions. As a result,
producers growing red claw outdoors in the U.S. will be constrained to a
4-7 month grow-out season.
Condition indices are widel