Freshwater relatives of lobsters, also called crawfish or crawdads. They live in streams, swamps, ditches and paddy fields, and most can’t tolerate polluted water.
Quick answers
What is it?Crustacean
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Kept as pets in freshwater aquariums.
Do people eat it?Yes
Eaten worldwide, though only a small part of the body is eaten.
At a glance
Found inRivers, Worldwide
HabitatRivers & lakes, Wetland
ColoursBrown, Red, Blue
SizeTiny
Legs10
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for2–30 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- What it eats
- Living or decomposing plants and animals, and detritus.
Did you know
A freshwater relative of the lobster.
“Crayfish” comes from the Old French escrevisse, altered to end in “fish”.
Often confused with
- Lobster
Crayfish are the lobster’s freshwater relatives.
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