Detailed information on the growth and survival of small, juvenile crustaceans during the earliest part of their benthic life is rare. Tagging crustaceans is difficult; external tags can be lost during moulting, negatively effect growth, and owing to their size can only be used in larger (>50 mm carapace length) (sub)adult individuals. To evaluate the suitability of small internal, coded micro wire tags (<1 mm) to mark marron, Cherax tenuimanus, a laboratory trial was conducted to compare growth and survival of juvenile (<20 mm orbital-carapace length) marked and unmarked marron. After 394 days no significant differences in growth or survival were observed between tagged and control groups. Mortality was high (~80%) but similar between both treatments. Tag loss, ~12% between Day 1 and Day 54, appeared to be confined to the first post-tag moult. No further tag loss was observed during the remaining 340 days of the experiment. Mark–recapture programs could provide the first detailed estimates of growth and survival of C. tenuimanus under natural conditions, enhancing the sustainable management of the declining recreational marron fishery. The present study illustrates the potential usefulness of coded micro wire tags as a tool in crustacean biology and fisheries management.