About

Cambarellus (Dwarf Crayfish)

A genus of small freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters
Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills
Astacidea is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans including lobsters in the Northern Hemisphere
Parastacoidea are in the Southern Hemisphere
Crustaceans (from Latin word "crustacea" meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are mandibulate arthropods that are traditionally a part of the paraphyletic subphylum Crustacea
Arthropods are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (metameric) segments, and paired jointed appendages
The Decapoda or decapods (from Ancient Greek δεκάς (dekás), meaning "ten", and πούς (poús), meaning "foot") is a large order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca that have 10 appendages, and includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, and prawns
The Cambaridae are the largest of the four families of freshwater crayfish, with over 400 species
Native to the North American continent
Some kinds of crayfish are known locally as lobsters, crawdads, crawfish, mudbugs, and yabbies (down under)
Crayfish all over the world can be seen in an ecological role of benthic dwellers
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water (bottom dwellers)

Popular Cambarellus for Aquariums

Subgenus Cambarellus

Cambarellus patzcuarensis Orange

CPO, Mexican dwarf orange crayfish

Cambarellus patzcuarensis

Mexican dwarf crayfish, wild type

Subgenus Pandicambarus

Cambarellus diminutus

Least dwarf crayfish, Blue dwarf crayfish

Cambarellus puer

Swamp dwarf crayfish

Cambarellus shufeldtii

Cajun dwarf crayfish

Cambarellus texanus

Brazos dwarf crayfish

Taxonomic Classification

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The animal kingdom is divided into five major clades: Porifera, Ctenophora, Placozoa, Cnidaria and Bilateria. Most living animal species belong to the clade Bilateria.

A large clade of animals characterised by bilateral symmetry during embryonic development.

A major, diverse lineage of bilaterally symmetrical animals, including arthropods, mollusks, and annelids, defined by their embryonic development where the mouth forms first from or near the blastopore. The name translates from Greek to "first mouth."

A major, diverse superphylum of protostome animals, including arthropods (insects, spiders, crustaceans) and nematodes, defined by their ability to grow by molting (ecdysis) a tough, non-living cuticle or exoskeleton.

Invertebrate animals that includes insects, spiders, crustaceans, and their relatives. They have a segmented body, an external skeleton, and jointed limbs.

From Latin word "crustacea" meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones." The scientific study of crustaceans is known as carcinology, and a scientist who works in carcinology is a carcinologist.

The largest class of crustaceans, comprising about 30,000 species that inhabit marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, characterized by four body regions with jointed appendages.

Eumalacostracans have 19 segments (5 cephalic, 8 thoracic and 6 abdominal).

A class of the crustacean subphylum, comprising the decapods, krill, and Angustidontida. They are characterised by having the carapace fused to all thoracic segments, and by the possession of stalked eyes.

From Ancient Greek meaning "ten feet." A large order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, and includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, and prawns. Most decapods are scavengers.

A suborder of decapod crustaceans, erected by Martin Burkenroad in 1963. Contains all the members of the Reptantia (including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, and others), as well as the Stenopodidea (boxer shrimp) and Caridea (true shrimp).

Distinguished from most other decapods by the presence of chelae (claws) on each of the first three pairs of pereiopods (walking legs), the first of which is much larger than the remaining two pairs.

A superfamily of freshwater crayfish that live in the Northern Hemisphere. Consists of three families: Astacidae (Europe and western North America), Cambaridae (eastern North America), and Cambaroididae (eastern Asia).

The largest of the four families of freshwater crayfish, with over 400 species. Most native to the United States east of the Great Divide and Mexico, with fewer ranging north to Canada and south to Guatemala and Honduras.

A subfamily of small, freshwater crustaceans commonly known as dwarf crayfishes. They belong to the family Cambaridae and consist of a single genus Cambarellus.

Small freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae. The 19 species are found in Mexico and the Gulf States of the United States.

Mexican Group

Gulf Group

The problem with imported crayfish

Most dwarf crayfish sold in the US are wild-caught or mass-bred overseas. They spend days in transit. They've never been in an aquarium before. A lot of them show up stressed and die within a week. Sellers call this normal. It's not. The animals were compromised before they got to you.

What we do differently

We breed multiple Cambarellus species in indoor tanks in North Carolina: Brazos (C. texanus), CPO (C. patzcuarensis), and Diminutus (C. diminutus). These animals have lived in aquarium conditions their entire lives. They eat pellet food, they're used to dechlorinated tap water, and they've never been wild. When they get to your tank, they settle in fast because the conditions aren't new to them.

We also know what we're sending. We know the parents, the color line, and whether the animal is healthy. We don't ship anything we wouldn't put in our own tanks.

How it works

Indoor tanks, NC

Controlled environment. Consistent water. No exposure to wild parasites or diseases.

Multiple species

We breed Brazos, CPO, and Diminutus. Brazos come in blue, dark, and light color forms.

Shipped to order

We pack with insulated boxes and breather bags. Live arrival guaranteed.

What we won't do

If we have a health problem in a tank, we pull the listings. If we're low on stock, the page says so. We don't ship in weather that puts animals at risk.

We're small. We don't always have everything available. That's on purpose. We'd rather have a short list of healthy animals than a long list of questionable ones.

Questions about a specific animal? Ask. We'll tell you what we know.

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Information gathered by Dr. Ben Thic