Noble crayfish
| Astacus astacus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Family: | Astacidae |
| Genus: | Astacus |
| Species: | A. astacus |
| Binomial name | |
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Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Astacus fluviatilis Fabricius, 1775 |
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| External identifiers for Astacus astacus | |
|---|---|
| Encyclopedia of Life | 1021866 |
| ITIS | 97333 |
| NCBI | 6715 |
| Also found in: , ARKive | |
Astacus fluviatilis Fabricius, 1775
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.
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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