Procambarus clarkii, known variously as the red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish or mudbug, [3] is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of northern Mexico, and southern and southeastern United States, but also introduced elsewhere (both in North America and other continents), where it is often an invasive pest.

The red swamp crayfish is a physical ecosystem engineer, primarily constructing simple, two-crayfish burrows consisting of a single opening, which may be covered with a mud plug or chimney to reduce evaporative loss further from the water’s edge, and a tunnel widening to an enlarged terminal chamber (Correia and Ferreira 1995, Huner and Barr ...

Red swamp crayfish are more aggressive than native crayfish, outcompeting them for food and space. The invasive is quick to disperse and has more stamina to travel. At infected retention ponds, the invaders have been found inside drainage pipes, meaning they have access to the greater watershed.

Red swamp crayfish are crustaceans that are dark red in color and grow to 2-5 inches in length. Their bodies and claws are covered in raised, bright red spots, and they may have a black, wedge-shaped stripe on their tails.

Red swamp crayfish are large (5-13 cm long), dark red crayfish with long, narrow claws (OFAH, 2021). They almost always have a blue-grey coloured line that runs along the underside of their tail (OFAH, 2021).

“The red swamp crayfish is a physical ecosystem engineer, primarily constructing simple, two- crayfish burrows consisting of a single opening, which may be covered with a mud plug or chimney to reduce evaporative loss further from the water’s edge, and a tunnel widening to an enlarged terminal chamber (Correia and Ferreira 1995, Huner and Barr 1...

Found in rivers, bayous, swamps, ditches, ponds, lakes, and rice fields throughout the south central United States and northeastern Mexico. Prefer flooded wetland habitats with periodically flowing, well-oxygenated water. Retreat to burrows when surface waters dry up. Behavior. Opportunistic omnivores, meaning they eat almost anything.

Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

In this guide, I have done extensive research on Procarambus Clarkii, commonly known as Red swamp crayfish, Louisiana red swamp, Red crayfish or Mudbug, to describe care, diet, and breeding in all possible details.

An in-depth guide to the care, breeding, & habitat of the Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). complete with high-quality images for this beautiful Crayfish.