Skip to main content

Crayfish

Orconectes spp.

Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

45.217, -92.7576

Field Notes

Description:

Crayfish look like small lobsters with a hard carapace, two large claws.

Habitat:

Lakes and some streams. Crayfish do not tolerate high levels of pollutants.

Notes:

This crayfish had latched onto an angler's baited hook and was brought to shore (not hooked, just holding on).

There are about 350 species of crayfish in North America.

Species ID Suggestions

Crayfish

Astacidae

Comments (5)

I'm glad that you have some idea. Looking up invertebrate critters is very, very hard, specially if your local state and edu resources are focusing on an invasive species. Sure it's great to know what the invasives look like, but it is also good to know what the natives look like so you don't go wontonly killing them too.
There are five other species, four of which are Orconectes. This may very well be a rusty, but the angler's fingers are covering the part of the carapace that is definitive. It had enormous claws--something the rusty has--compared to other crayfish I've recently seen here in Minnesota.
Everytime I look up Minnesota and crayfish... it brings up the Rusty Crayfish. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/rustycrayfish/index.html http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/rustycrayfish_invader Hmm but he doesn't look to rusty... surely there are other species up there.
Photographed
PublishedFebruary 23, 2011

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon