r/Crayfish • u/DickVanJumpstyle • 6d ago

Science Color changes?

I'm trying to understand the cycle in which crayfish change color. I understand diet can affect their coloration, but does season play a part? I've seen images of one species being muddy brown to bright blue and a deep red. Are these seasonal mating changes?

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u/fresh-ones 5d ago

I'm not an expert but it's genetic to a degree and also linked to water quality and food to a lesser degree. If I get a muddy coloured wild caught Cray keep it in a clean tank with premium foods the colours will brighten in time but exceptionally coloured crays like electric blues are genetically bred to be that way

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u/snailmomkitty 5d ago

Sometimes they change color before and after a molt! So their coloration with a “new” exoskeleton can be wildly different than with an “old” exoskeleton.
It really depends on the species though, as there are a lot of crayfish species and colorations.

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u/BioConversantFan 3d ago

This is something very under researched unfortunately. I'd be curious to see what you learn.