2 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful with most small fish; may catch very small shrimp.
370 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful with most small fish; may catch very small shrimp.
Check your local laws. EU: not on the Union list of invasive alien species (the listed crayfish are Procambarus clarkii, P. virginalis, Pacifastacus leniusculus, Faxonius limosus, F. virilis, F. rusticus, F. immunis and Cherax destructor). Native to the USA, so no US federal restriction found. As a North American crayfish it can carry crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci), deadly to European, Australian and New Guinea crayfish: never release animals or tank water, and keep apart from Cherax (Garnelio). Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.
Pellets, wafers and blanched vegetables.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are smaller, with hooks on the 2nd and 3rd walking legs and V-shaped mating organs (gonopods) formed by the first two pairs of swimmerets; females are larger and have no gonopods.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Direct developer: females carry the eggs under the tail for about 3-4 weeks (longer when cool) and the young stay with the mother for about 7-10 days after hatching. Breeds year-round in Louisiana, peaking in late winter and spring.
Keep a group with more females than males.
20-40 L tank with many hides, plants and moss.
Warm water and good feeding.
Wild females carry about 18-70 eggs (average 34 in Louisiana; larger females in Missouri/Illinois average 64-80, up to 109); eggs hatch after about 3-4 weeks. Aquarium broods are often 10-30.
Juveniles look like tiny crayfish; feed powdered food and moss.
A small crayfish from the US Gulf Coastal Plain, one of the most traded dwarf crayfish: with the Mexican dwarf and the marbled crayfish it makes up most of the online crayfish trade in North America. Peaceful toward fish and stays small. Blue forms are sold, but the colour is not reliably inherited.
American carcinologist Walter Faxon described this dwarf crayfish in 1884. Its tiny size and peaceful habits made it a favourite for planted community tanks.
First described by Walter Faxon in 1884. Named for Named after naturalist Robert W. Shufeldt.
16 facts checked with sources
Invertebrate (freshwater dwarf crayfish, family Cambaridae, North/Central America). Cambarellus shufeldtii (Faxon, 1884); valid (ITIS). Subgenus given as Dirigicambarus (ITIS via USFWS) or Pandicambarus (Wikipedia). NAME WARNING: its common name is Cajun dwarf crayfish (also Louisiana dwarf crayfish); the legacy name "Texas dwarf crayfish" belongs to C. texanus, and the legacy puer record is confusingly called "Dwarf Cajun crayfish".
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Wikipedia: Cambarellus shufeldtii (cites IUCN Red List: Alvarez et al. 2010; NatureServe)Legacy has no family; recorded as sourced.
Wikipedia: Cambarellus shufeldtii (cites IUCN Red List: Alvarez et al. 2010; NatureServe)Garnelio (aquarium animals): females up to 4 cm without claws, males a little smaller. Wild data (Adams 2012): females about 3.3 cm TL, form I males 1.5-3.0 cm. Larger aquarium figure used per size rule; legacy 4 cm fits.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German) · USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015Garnelio: copes with 10-30 °C, happiest at room temperature, no heater needed. Legacy 15-26 lies within.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German) · USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015Aquarium advice pH 7-8 (Garnelio); wild animals tolerate at least 5.4-7.4. Legacy 6.5-8 lies within the combined range.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German) · USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015Legacy had none; new value. Usually fine in tap water.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Translation: a small group of one male and two females can be kept from 30 L; 54 L recommended for breeding. Floor area and hides matter more than volume. Legacy 20 L is small.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Garnelio: 1.5-2 years in aquaria. Wild: females about 1 year, males 15-18 months. Legacy "2 years" is the top of the range.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German) · USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015Fairly peaceful toward fish and with its own kind (Garnelio); may eat slow dwarf shrimp, eats snails; deadly fights with other crayfish, crabs and large-armed shrimp. In the wild it dominates C. puer (NatureServe/Wikipedia).
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German) · Wikipedia: Cambarellus shufeldtii (cites IUCN Red List: Alvarez et al. 2010; NatureServe)Translation: well suited for beginners in crayfish keeping.
Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Legacy has no range; recorded as sourced.
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Wikipedia: Cambarellus shufeldtii (cites IUCN Red List: Alvarez et al. 2010; NatureServe)Legacy (male smaller with hooks; female larger) supported. Hooks are on form I (breeding-condition) males.
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Legacy "about 30-60 eggs; juveniles hatch in 3-4 weeks": hatch time supported; wild egg counts below.
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Legacy "20-50 eggs for about 3-4 weeks" matches the Louisiana wild data and hatch time. Garnelio profile says 4-6 weeks.
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)Legacy story supported; but its common name "Texas dwarf crayfish" is wrong (see scientificName).
USFWS Ecological Risk Screening Summary: Cajun dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus shufeldtii), 2016, quoting ITIS, Adams 2012, Faulkes 2015 · Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)National/state rules not checked; some countries or regions restrict all non-native crayfish. Translation of quote: as a North American crayfish, C. shufeldtii is a potential carrier of the crayfish plague pathogen.
Wikipedia: List of invasive alien species of Union concern (summarises EU Reg. 1143/2014 implementing lists 2016/1141 to 2025/1422) · Garnelio (German invertebrate breeder/retailer): Blauer Zwergflusskrebs - Cambarellus shufeldtii (German)