Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Common Crayfish

By: Tom Berg

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that look like miniature lobsters. People around here call them crayfish, crawfish, crawdads or mudbugs, but if you lived in Europe or Australia you might call them yabbies! There are about 500 species of crayfish in the world, and more than 350 of them live right here in the USA. Most live in freshwater, although a few live in brackish water (or even salt water).

These crustaceans are arthropods: an invertebrate animal with an exoskeleton, a segmented body and jointed limbs. They have compound eyes on movable stalks, and can see surprisingly well. They have ten legs, and the two front legs are equipped with large pincers that they use to catch and dispatch food. Crayfish also use these pincers to defend themselves.

Native crayfish naturally occur in a rainbow of different colors: brown, black, yellow, green, orange, red and even blue. They typically match the colors of their underwater environment to help them blend in and avoid predators.

Crayfish breathe under water through their gills, just like fish. However, a crayfish’s gills are extremely specialized, so they can even breathe on dry land. Their gills allow them to take in oxygen through moisture in the air. The more humid the better. If they are kept moist they can survive out of the water for a long time.

Crayfish eat a wide variety of dead plants and animals on the bottoms of lakes and streams, so they perform a valuable clean-up service for the environment. Dead fish are one of their favorite meals. They also need clean water to survive, so they are a good indicator of water pollution and contamination.

Although crayfish are small and not generally eaten by people in the most of the USA, they are a popular food in southern states like Louisiana. In other parts of the country, they are most often put to use as a great fishing bait. Bass, perch, catfish and rockbass love to eat crayfish, so keep that in mind this spring and summer when you take the kids fishing!

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