Habitat

Crayfish live almost everywhere in the world except Africa and Antarctica.  Crayfish live in fresh water.  They can live in lakes, streams, brooks, or swamps.  Some crayfish can even live in places that are not submerged in water.  They burrow in the mud to get water to breathe.

Physical Appearance

Crayfish look like mini lobsters. They come in all the colors of the rainbow. The common colors of crayfish are yellow, dark green, reddish-brown or brown. 

Crayfish have a hard exoskeleton.  As crayfish grow they shed their exoskeleton.  Their new exoskeleton is soft and hardens over time.

Crayfish have two antennae at the front of the head to feel around for prey and detect predators.

Crayfish have two large front claws used to grab and hold prey.  They have 5 smaller sets of legs used for walking and moving food toward their mouths.  

Behaviors

Crayfish eat many different kinds of things, both alive and dead.  They are omnivores that eat plants and animals like shrimp, fish, plankton, worms, insects, and snails. Crayfish may even eat each other!

Crayfish can only walk forward.  To move backwards they have to swim. 

When threatened crayfish raise their claws to ward off their enemies.

Eggs

Life Cycle

Crayfish reproduce by laying eggs.  Crayfish mate in the autumn and lay eggs in the spring. The eggs attach to the female’s abdomen and hatch in 5 to 8 weeks.  The larvae, baby crayfish, stay attached to the mother for several weeks or months.  The larvae will leave the mother after they molt from 6 to 10 times.

Crayfish can live from 1 to 20 years depending on the species.