Redclaw - Description

The redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus) is a freshwater crayfish native to northern Australia. The species inhabits turbid, slow moving waters often associated with billabongs. The Redclaw has a broad range of environmental tolerances, is capable of rapid growth, achieves a large size, and is relatively disease free.

Farming Development

Redclaw production takes place mainly in Queensland, with some production also in northern New South Wales. All sales of redclaw are from farmed production, as wild stocks are generally considered too remote to harvest.

Although there were 67 producing farms in Queensland in 2001-02, around 84 per cent of production came from 17 farms. Total ponded area was 140 hectares. Almost all production is from ponded systems, with production from recirculating systems having fallen to virtually zero. Tank based systems, with their smaller required area and lower costs of farm development, may appear an easy method of entry into redclaw production. However, to date, tank based systems have met with very little success, primarily because crayfish growth is inversely related to density higher densities result in slower growth.

Production of redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) of 105 tonnes in 2005–06, represents a 6% increase on the 99 tonnes produced in 2004–05. Over the same period, the value of redclaw sold as food increased only marginally from $1.28 million in 2004–05 to $1.30 million in 2005–06.  Juvenile redclaw production increased from the 4 million produced in 2004–05, to 6.5 million in 2005–06. Sales decreased from 233 000 ($63 000) in 2004–05 to 83 000 ($18 000) in 2005–06.

Current R&D projects include production of tropical lobster Panulirus ornatus puerulus, evaluating mud crab artificial diet formulations and production of blue swimmer crab juveniles for the soft-shelled crab market.

In 2001-02 New South Wales produced 200 kilograms of redclaw valued at $3000 at the farm gate.

( REF. Australian Aquaculture. Industry profiles for selected species)

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