Lucky Man Finds Rare, One-in-a-Million Albino Crayfish

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The natural world is full of meticulous, mathematical patterns, but now and again, Mother Nature likes to throw in a special surprise. As you’ll see in this video, one man’s crayfish hunt took a rather unexpected turn when he stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime find: a pure white crayfish!

Where Do Crayfish Live?

Crayfish (or crawfish) can be found all over the world, from North and South America to Europe, Asia, and Australia. They are particularly common in North America, with 70% of the world’s crayfish species living in the United States. The southern U.S. is renowned for its crayfish, which are often featured in regional dishes and Cajun cuisine. Crayfish also play a vital role in the diets of hundreds of bird, mammal, and fish species.

Crayfish live in freshwater habitats, including ponds, ditches, lakes, rivers, swamps, bayous, and rice fields. Florida’s warm climate is the perfect habitat for these small crustaceans, with an estimated 50 or more species living throughout the state. The Everglades crayfish (Procambarus alleni), for example, lives across much of Florida. The Panama City crayfish (Procambarus econfinae), on the other hand, is critically endangered and found only in Bay County.

How Rare Are Albino Crayfish?

Most of Florida’s crayfish have dark or neutral colors that help them to blend into their surroundings. Wild red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), for instance, are dark with reddish hues, while Everglades crayfish typically have brown or gray bodies. Color variations are common in crayfish, particularly blue, red, or orange. Everglades or Florida crayfish sometimes have blue patterns, and captive-bred individuals are often a vibrant blue. However, pure white is rare, especially in wild crayfish. Without its natural camouflage, a white crayfish would easily be spotted by predators and wouldn’t survive very long in the wild.

While the video above describes the crayfish as “albino”, a few comments suggest that it is actually “leucistic”. Albino animals usually have red or pinkish eyes, whereas the crayfish in the clip has dark eyes. However, in at least one case, researchers found an albino crayfish with dark eyes.

Both leucistic and albino crayfish are extremely rare in the wild. Most experts agree that you’d be lucky to find even one white crayfish in the wild during your lifetime.

What Makes a Crayfish White?

Albino crayfish result from two parents who each have the albinism gene. This is very uncommon, particularly in wild populations. Through natural selection, this rare gene has been nearly eliminated, as albino animals lack natural camouflage and are highly visible to predators. Albinism stops the body from producing melanin, a natural dark pigment. Without melanin, an albino crayfish’s body remains starkly white with pink or red eyes.

Similar to albino crayfish, leucistic crayfish also have white bodies due to a rare genetic variation. Leucism also affects melanin production, but instead of stopping it completely, it just reduces how much melanin is produced. With such small amounts of melanin, leucistic crayfish remain white or display lighter-colored bodies with black or blue eyes.

In captivity, breeders often selectively breed for albinism and leucism, resulting in pure white crayfish for aquarium enthusiasts. The “white specter crayfish”, for example, is not a distinct species but a selectively-bred variant of the Everglades crayfish.

Can You Keep Wild Crayfish as Pets?

In the video above, the man catches his crayfish to keep as a pet. But is this legal? In Florida, there are generally no restrictions on catching wild crayfish, with exceptions for cave-dwelling crayfish and the Panama City, Sims Sink, and Black Creek crayfishes, which are legally protected.

However, in some areas, it is illegal to catch crayfish other than for food consumption. A fishing license also does not necessarily authorize keeping crayfish as pets. In addition, it is illegal to possess certain crayfish species. This can make things quite challenging due to the many types of crayfish and the difficulty of identifying species, especially for beginners. Transporting invertebrates is often prohibited to prevent the spread of diseases, parasites, and invasive species.

Getting a captive-bred crayfish is a much better option if you’re looking to keep one as a pet. Crayfish have individual personalities and can be fun to watch as they dig and explore their tanks. Captive-bred crayfish come in many different colors and sizes and are relatively easy to care for. However, be sure to do your homework and research the specific needs of the species you would like to keep.