Transcript Crayfish - JCCZoology

Crayfish
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphlum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
By: Marsha Moore
Pictures of Crayfish
Snow White Crayfish
Giant Crayfish in Japan
Location of Crayfish
• 540 species
worldwide
• 250 species in North
America particularly in
Kentucky (Mammoth
Cave) and Louisiana
in the Mississippi
Basin.
• Cambaridae is the
largest of the three
families of freshwater
Crayfish.
• They are found in
North America
Crayfish have two main
sections:
Cephlathorax
Abdomen
Each section has
paired appendages.
Color and size
• Most are red, some are green, brown, tan
or blue
• Adult size is 2” to 6” for most in the U.S.
• They grow by molting, shedding their shell
when they outgrow it
• Adults molt a couple times a week
• Lifespan is about 2-3 years
Crayfish Molting with abdomen detatching
from tail.
Lifestyle
• They like it dark and cool
• Can be found under rocks during the
daylight
• Search for food when it’s dark, Nocturnal
• Must hide while their new shell hardens to
protect their soft bodies
Feeding Habits
• Eat anything they catch or find
• Prey upon other invertebrates
• Eat plant matter, and scavenge dead and
dying animals
• When in a crowded habitat they can be
cannibalistic
Reproduction
• Males and females mate in the spring
• After mating the female lays about 200
eggs which she carries under her tail.
• They stay under her tail for a while then
they venture out on their own
Female Crayfish w/Eggs
Special Adaptions
• Nearly all live in freshwater, although a few
survive in salt water.
• They can move their eyes without
additional body movement allowing them
to stay stationary but observe prey or
predators
• Move forward when walking, backwards
when swimming allowing rapid movement
Studies
• Crayfish are great for classroom
observation, do not carry disease easy to
care for, and have many interesting
behaviors
• Biologists use crayfish as an indicator of
environmental health for freshwater, the
crayfish help eliminate toxins in the water
increasing the overall health of the
ecosystem.
Studies Cont.
• Studies show adults (one year old) are
most active at dawn and continue feeding
until daybreak
• Young crayfish are more likely to be out on
sunny days where older ones prefer
cloudy days or darkness.
References
• http://www.anaspid.org/crayfish.html
• http://lawrencehallofscience.org/foss
• http://www.crayfishfacts.net