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Abstract— Australian red claw crayfish Cherax quudricarinurus were cultured in monoculture and in polyculture with male Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloricus in nine 0.02‐ha earthen ponds. Red claw with an average weight of 7 g were stocked in all ponds at 2/ m2. Tilapia with an average weight of 19 g were stocked in six ponds at either 0.5 or 1/m2. A sinking 32% fish diet and dry alfalfa hay was provided to all ponds as feed and forage. After 135 d, red claw survival was similar (19–24%) in all treatments while average weights were 76 g in monoculture and 48 g in both polyculture treatments. Lower than expected survival was a result of stress caused by poor shipping conditions. Tilapia survivals were similar (84–90%) in all ponds and had an average weight of 403 g when stocked at 1/m2 and 444 g when stocked at 0.5/m2. Red claws are generally considered non‐aggressive, especially when compared with other clawed crustaceans. This lack of aggressiveness is suggested as a cause for decreased growth in polyculture with tilapia.

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