They are native to permanent bodies of fresh water with logs, rocks, debris, or tree branches on the floor.They excavate deep burrows and are aggressive in defending it.This species is invasive to Maine and has been since 1960. It was first identified in Great Pond, in Belgrade, in 1968.Currently found in Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, all New England except Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.The Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region.Mates early spring to late fall and lays 80-575 eggs a year.Spreads through use as bait and on boats and in motor water and in live wells/bait buckets.It spreads in rivers and streams and lakes by swimming walking and crawling.Spread as bait by fishermen or by people that have them in aquariums as pets and wash the tanks. Native to Ohio River drainage and most of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois. Similar species include: Orconectes virilis The genus of fresh water crayfish native to the eastern United States.

The largest of the three families of fresh water crayfish with over four hundred Crustaceans are the only arthropods with two pairs of antennae. Largest subclass of crustaceans with a hard exoskeleton and jointedĪppendages. Invertebrate with an exoskeleton, segmented body and jointed feet, and a hard Multicellular, all rely on other organisms for nutrients, all move, eukaryotic,

It has a pair of small claws and a pair of large claws which have black tips.

They use hooked claws to defend themselves from predators such as fish.

Large strong claws are a dark reddish brown with dark rusty spots on them.

The males molt twice and females once a year.

Has a pair of long antennae and a pair of short antennae.

However, it is not always present in some waters and underdeveloped crayfish.

Carapace has dark rust colored spots on it right where your fingers would be if you picked the crayfish up with your fore finger and thumb, just in front of the tail.

Resemble the lobster, one of their close relatives.

The plants and many of the animals in the bodies of fresh water in which These people want to control the crayfishīecause it is causing havoc in the ecosystems by eating almost all of Important facts that I found were about i dentifyingĬharacteristics of the rusty crayfish and ways to kill it. Maine, and Minnesota and also the government site USGS. Websites that I looked at were from state universities Michigan,

Rusty crayfish