Crayfish ID?

[waldo]

This critter belongs to my daughter, he was labeled yabby at the pet store. I know the pics are really bad, I couldn't get him to come out in the open. Any way to at least get a genus ID? She's like to get another if its safe to co-hab.

http://i62.tinypic.com/2w21no8.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/2m4ovx1.jpg

you can kinda make out his tail
http://i59.tinypic.com/124emok.jpg

[talldutchie]

This is almost nothing to work with.

Let's see... you're in the US of A right? Which state? Bought this at any chain store? Approx how big is it? Have you seen it eat?

[waldo]

I'm in the US, in Idaho. Its a mom and pop pet store that get their fish from a supplier in Seattle. I've only seen him eat once, he's not at my house but he is fed daily. He has caught about half the fish in the tank and has molted I think 3-4 times in the last month. He's probably around 4" now.
He eats just about anything, not picky at all. The pet store gal did specify that he is a Australian yabby.

[Plecos]

Yabbie crayfish description

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Family Parastacidae
Genus Cherax (1)

The smooth-shelled yabbie crayfish (Cherax destructor) usually varies in colour from olive-green to brown, but can also be blue, yellow, red or black depending on the habitat, location and individual (3). The head and internal organs of all crayfish are protected by the carapace and the six segments of the abdomen are individually encased with a flexible membrane between them to allow movement. Crayfish have a pair of large claws at the front end, followed by four pairs of walking legs and then four pairs of small swimming legs called swimmerets. These swimmerets are covered with fine hairs to which the female attaches her eggs. A central tail flap is surrounded by four other flaps that are used to move the crayfish rapidly through the water, as well as curling up to form a brood chamber. There are two eyes on the end of eyestalks, but the senses of touch and taste are far more important, and are perceived using a pair of large feelers (or antennae) and a pair of small, fine, centrally located feelers (or antennules) (3).
SizeLength: 20 cm (2)Maximum weight: 320 g (3)Egg length: 2 mm (3)Weight upon hatching: 0.02 g (3)

This one can get almost 8 inches long!

Look like this one;
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/68/68143CE5-9123-4BFF-9669-1CF0149EFB78/Presentation.Large/Adult-yabbie-crayfish.jpg

[waldo]

Yeah, I've read up on yabbies, I just don't know if thats what she has. When ever I visit, the little beast is in hiding. She has a 55 gallon so their is plenty of room from him. I really don't want her to get a second, seems like trouble to me.

[talldutchie]

A latin name of Cherax destructor kinda spells out trouble. :smile:

IT seems like a good match. The only other possibility would be some kind of macrobrachium, they also catch and eat fish and are frequently traded.
With two lobster there's always the possibility that one will attempt to kill the other during a molt. oh, and in case you're wondering, there's no need to feed live fish, lobsters will eat anything.