Crayfish vs Lobster: What's the Difference?
Freshwater crayfish are among the lobster’s closest living relatives. The crayfish has an exoskeleton; the lobster has a shell.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: kept as a pet.
| Question | Crayfish | Lobster |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Crustacean | Crustacean |
| Carnivore? | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Dangerous? | No | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Night | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? differs | Sometimes | No |
| Do people eat it? | Yes | Yes |
At a glance
| Question | Crayfish | Lobster |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Rivers, Worldwide | Oceans |
| Habitat differs | Rivers & lakes, Wetland | Open ocean, Coast |
| Size differs | Tiny | Medium |
| Length differs | – | Up to 1.1 m (American lobster) |
| Weight differs | – | Up to 20 kg (American lobster) |
| Legs | 10 | 10 |
| Covered in differs | Exoskeleton | Shell |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 2–30 years | 45–50 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Crayfish
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.
Everything on the crayfish page
Lobster
Large marine crustaceans with long bodies, muscular tails and big front claws, highly prized as seafood. They have blue blood, from copper-based haemocyanin.
Everything on the lobster page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Commonly confused animals.