# "Wild" blue crayfish strain



## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Jan 14, 2015)

Check these guys out - the result of 30 minutes of hand collecting at a local drainage creek. I frequently used the same area a couple years back to collect crayfish for fishing bait. I recall capturing a single blue, but later released it. Fast forward 3 years, and the blues are just as common as the normal. These fellas are a deep solid navy blue - appearing almost black under incandescent lighting. Under natural or LED they're sapphire blue. A hell of a lot more blue than the regular $25-a-pop Procamberus alleni at the local fish stores.

Reactions: Like 9


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## Scorpionluva (Jan 14, 2015)

those are absolutely beautiful !!!!


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 14, 2015)

OK. First, this is awesome. Second, this is proof of an alien encounter with crayfish. 

Is this blue crayfish strain common? Thanks for sharing.

Reactions: Like 1


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## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Jan 15, 2015)

MrCrackerpants said:


> OK. First, this is awesome. Second, this is proof of an alien encounter with crayfish.
> 
> Is this blue crayfish strain common? Thanks for sharing.


Procamberus alleni and P. clarkii are commonly sold in pet stores as electric blue crayfish; however these are more blue than any I've even seen before. Your more typical variety appears as a somewhat patchy sky blue. It could very well be the blue variety of some other type of crayfish - the mutation can occur in many different species. It COULD also be a much darker blue strain of P. alleni (they're native to florida) but these particular crays never seem to bump past the 3" mark as opposed to the 5"-6" less aquarium friendly adult size commonly seen in the other species.

I'm more perplexed as to how this recessive gene has proliferated as much as it has in this particular population over the course of a few years. Blue crayfish are rare in the wild for a reason - they're easy to spot! The prospect of a lack of aquatic predators probably has something to do with it, as the water level at this creek is no deeper than a foot and a half, not to mention fish species consist of only a couple like mosquito fish and sailfin mollies. That said I've come across a couple snapping turtles and I often see raccoons wading the waters here.

Reactions: Like 2


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## pyro fiend (Jan 15, 2015)

mine just recently died at least 4yrs old or more =\  got mine off a fish forum many a moons ago [2ish yrs ago may be dif sp tho but mine was just as blue] ya wana spare a pair 

also would like to add a few sp get a blue fungus in/on their exo.. and are also sold in petshops around here as "sapphire blue lobsters/crayfish"


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## Camden (Jan 15, 2015)

awesome! thanks for sharing, it's been a very long time since i've heard anything of these, almost forgot about em! did you collect them in florida? if so, i wonder if they're here in tennessee.


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## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Jan 15, 2015)

Camden said:


> awesome! thanks for sharing, it's been a very long time since i've heard anything of these, almost forgot about em! did you collect them in florida? if so, i wonder if they're here in tennessee.


I'm sure they can be found anywhere crayfish can.

And if anybody wants some, shoot me a pm, I have more than I know what to do with!

Reactions: Dislike 1


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## Greatwun (Jan 16, 2015)

That is awesome!!


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## AndrewBiddar (Jan 19, 2015)

1Lord Of Ants1 said:


> I'm sure they can be found anywhere crayfish can.
> 
> And if anybody wants some, shoot me a pm, I have more than I know what to do with!


thats awesome deep blue, id take one or 2 if u wouldnt mind  would add a beautiful color to my new planted aquarium


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## jigalojey (Jan 20, 2015)

Very nice!!! I used to keep a purple( and I mean REALLY purple and BIG) Australian species known as "cherax cainii" Brings back memories


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## IloveBLUEcrayfish (May 7, 2016)

1Lord Of Ants1 said:


> Procamberus alleni and P. clarkii are commonly sold in pet stores as electric blue crayfish; however these are more blue than any I've even seen before. Your more typical variety appears as a somewhat patchy sky blue. It could very well be the blue variety of some other type of crayfish - the mutation can occur in many different species. It COULD also be a much darker blue strain of P. alleni (they're native to florida) but these particular crays never seem to bump past the 3" mark as opposed to the 5"-6" less aquarium friendly adult size commonly seen in the other species.
> 
> I'm more perplexed as to how this recessive gene has proliferated as much as it has in this particular population over the course of a few years. Blue crayfish are rare in the wild for a reason - they're easy to spot! The prospect of a lack of aquatic predators probably has something to do with it, as the water level at this creek is no deeper than a foot and a half, not to mention fish species consist of only a couple like mosquito fish and sailfin mollies. That said I've come across a couple snapping turtles and I often see raccoons wading the waters here.



PLEASE -  
Please EMAIL me at  james.milliard@yahoo.com   I would love to get 10 or more  From you THANK YOU 


JIM


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## IloveBLUEcrayfish (May 7, 2016)

*****************    Please EMAIL me at  james.milliard@yahoo.com   I would love to get 10 or more  From you THANK YOU 


JIM 



1Lord Of Ants1 said:


> Check these guys out - the result of 30 minutes of hand collecting at a local drainage creek. I frequently used the same area a couple years back to collect crayfish for fishing bait. I recall capturing a single blue, but later released it. Fast forward 3 years, and the blues are just as common as the normal. These fellas are a deep solid navy blue - appearing almost black under incandescent lighting. Under natural or LED they're sapphire blue. A hell of a lot more blue than the regular $25-a-pop Procamberus alleni at the local fish stores.


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## Defalt (May 8, 2016)

jigalojey said:


> Very nice!!! I used to keep a purple( and I mean REALLY purple and BIG) Australian species known as "cherax cainii" Brings back memories


I think you may be on to something.As soon as I saw those pictures, marron popped into my mind. I believe that those are cultivated as food, if my memory serves. It is possible that those crayfish are in fact, an invasive species, that would explain why their population has only risen in the recent years

Reactions: Agree 1


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## D Crider (May 8, 2016)

1Lord Of Ants1 said:


> I'm sure they can be found anywhere crayfish can.
> 
> And if anybody wants some, shoot me a pm, I have more than I know what to do with!


Do you still have access to these? I used to have one but it died after a few years. I just caught one that is teal/greenish but would love a new blue one.


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