One of the 22 crabs on WAnimals
Malacostracans · Decapoda · Astacidae
Noble Crayfish
Astacus astacus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
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
Lifespan
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.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- regeneraciónIt can regrow a lost claw over several successive moults, though it usually takes more than a year to reach its original size.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Invertebrate - calcified exoskeleton (crustacean)
- Habitat & environment
- Unpolluted freshwater rivers, streams and lakes across much of Europe, from France to Scandinavia and Russia
- Birth weight
- Hatchling 8.5-9 mm in total length
- Size at birth
- 8.5-9 mm in total length on hatching, taking adult form after the third moult (13-15 mm)
- Sexual maturity
- 3-5 years (6-8.5 cm long, depending on the population)
- Gestation / incubation
- 6-8 months of egg development over winter, attached to the female's swimmerets
- Litter / clutch size
- 90 to 500 eggs per clutch (most commonly 100-260)
Sources consulted: Astacology.org (Finnish lake study); ResearchGate (astacid captivity reproduction study); Animalia.bio; CABI Compendium; Grokipedia; Crayfish of Romania; Wikipedia (Astacus astacus)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: From May to October, at night, in clean European rivers and streams; in the Iberian Peninsula it is confined to isolated headwaters.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 89 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Noble Crayfish — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
White-clawed Crayfish
Austropotamobius pallipes
Iberian Desman
Galemys pyrenaicus
Signal Crayfish
Pacifastacus leniusculus
Tench
Tinca tinca
Marbled Newt
Triturus marmoratus
Southern Water Vole
Arvicola sapidus
How to help
The noble crayfish is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about noble crayfish.
Comments
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