Astacus astacus

Astacus astacus

''Astacus astacus'', the European crayfish, noble crayfish or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, ''Astacus astacus'' is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers and lakes. It is found from France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan peninsula, and north as far as parts of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm.
Noble Crayfish, Broad-fingered Crayfish - Astacus astacus Saw lots of this Broad-fingered Crayfish - Astacus astacus during my dive in Zeeland. Astacus astacus,Broad-fingered Crayfish,Geotagged,Lobster,Netherlands,Noble Crayfish,Zeeland

Habitat

''A. astacus'' is nocturnal and feeds on worms, aquatic insects, molluscs and plants, spending the day resting in a burrow. They become sexually mature after three to four years and a series of moults, and breed in October and November. Fertilised eggs are carried by the female, attached to her pleopods, until the following May, when they hatch and disperse. The main predators of ''A. astacus'', both as juveniles and adults, are mink, eels, perch, pike, otters, and muskrats.

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Status: Vulnerable
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassMalacostraca
OrderDecapoda
FamilyAstacidae
GenusAstacus
SpeciesA. astacus
Photographed in
Netherlands