Click here to learn about the structures of crayfish.

Most adult crayfish are red. Young crayfish are light tan.

Adults grow to between 2 to 6 inches long. A crayfish' size will vary with its species, diet, and age.

Crayfish walk on the bottoms of lakes or rivers. They can also walk on land. They do not swim.

Crayfish are nocturnal. Nocturnal means they are active at night. They can be found feeding at night.

They like to hide during the day so predators can't find them.

They spend most of their time in the water, but they can survive out of the water as long as their gills remain wet.

They can pinch HARD, so be careful!

Diet:
Crayfish eat many things: fish, earthworms, tadpoles, snails, plants, and small fish. They also eat plants. Their pincers hold, tear and cut food.
Habitat:
Crayfish live in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and swamps. They need clean water.
To hide from from predators during the day they can be found: under rocks, logs or plants where it is dark and cool.
They also live around plants where it is shady.
Crayfish dig tunnels in the mud to live in.
Predators:
A crayfish has a lot of predators. Some of them are raccoons, herons, fish, people (like 3rd grade boys and girls), squirrels and birds.
Life Cycle:
A crayfish starts out as an egg. Then it hatches and looks like a adult, but it is smaller. Than it molts to a bigger crayfish. After that it gets to be a adult. If it is a female it will have babies.

• Crayfish are also known as crawfish, crawdads and freshwater lobsters.
  
  
• Some crayfish can be blue, red or white.
  
  
• Crayfish' color depends in part on their diet.
  
  
• 
  Baby crayfish are called instars.
  

http://www.lhsfoss.org/fossweb/teachers/materials/plantanimal/crayfish.html, downloaded 3/27/2006.

http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg07_WildlifeSpeciesCon/pg7b7.htm, downloaded 3/27/2006.

http://130.18.140.19/noxubee/teachers/bottomland.html, downloaded 3/27/2006.