EndangeredWhite-clawed Crayfish
Austropotamobius pallipes
One of the 22 crabs on WAnimals
Malacostracans · Decapoda · Astacidae
Astacus astacus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
It is a keystone species in the fresh waters it inhabits, and in Sweden it is the centre of a centuries-old cultural tradition, the kräftskiva. Its populations have been decimated by a lethal fungus brought in with the American signal crayfish.
Weight
30 g – 500 g
Size
12 cm – 16 cm
Life expectancy
9 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sources consulted: Astacology.org (Finnish lake study) · ResearchGate (astacid captivity reproduction study) · Animalia.bio · CABI Compendium · Grokipedia · Crayfish of Romania · Wikipedia (Astacus astacus)
Best time: From May to October, at night, in clean European rivers and streams; in the Iberian Peninsula it is confined to isolated headwaters.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 89.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Noble Crayfish — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The noble crayfish is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about noble crayfish.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
