CrayFish
Crayfish, also crawfish, common name
for any crustacean
resembling but smaller than their relatives the lobsters, ranging in length from
2 to 40 cm (0.8 to 16 in); the first of their five pairs of walking legs is
equipped with strong claws. Crayfish live in freshwater rivers and streams in
temperate climates; one family is confined to the northern hemisphere, another
to the southern hemisphere, and a third to the Australian region.
Crayfish
usually burrow into the banks of streams or ponds and feed upon live or decaying
animal or vegetable matter. The male inserts sperm into a receptacle in the
female's thorax in the fall; the eggs, laid in the spring, are then fertilized
and hatch in eight weeks or less. The young remain with the mother for a short
while; after several molts, they reach adult size. The animals can live for
three years or longer. The white-clawed crayfish is particularly prized for food
despite its small size. Some cave-dwelling crayfish species are blind, such as
those of Kentucky's Mammoth Cave.
Crayfish
belong to the families Astacidae (northern hemisphere), Austroastacidae
(Australian region), and Parastacidae (southern hemisphere)
of the order Decapoda. The white-clawed crayfish is classified as Austropotamobius pallipes. The blind crayfish of Kentucky's Mammoth
Cave is classified as Cambarus pellucidus.
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