Astacus astacus
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AI overview
Astacus astacus is a species of freshwater crayfish native to Europe, commonly known as the noble crayfish or European crayfish. It matters because it has historically been an important food source and indicator of water quality in European freshwater ecosystems, though populations have declined due to disease and habitat loss.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
European Crayfish
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassMalacostraca
- OrderDecapoda
- FamilyAstacidae
Observations1,179
Groupanimalia
via GBIF · iNaturalist · CC0
Article
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, A. 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 Scandinavia and Finland, and Eastern Europe. Males may grow up to 16 cm (6 in) long, and females up to 12 centimetres (5 inches).
Ecology