Research

The Crayfish is a perfect organism for research and teaching. Among the world's largest freshwater macroinvertebrates, the crayfish exhibits a number of classical features and is a very convenient animal for study being relatively easy to handle. New species are still being identified whilst investigations are being conducted into many areas including prehistoric species, disease, conservation, population dynamics, life history, culture, habitat, toxicity tolerance, physiology and ecology.
 


Distribution of crayfish in the world (Full view, gif, 15 kb).

Conservation

Conservation issues surround crayfish in many countries for a number of reasons:

• Global introductions of Procambarus clarkii: A listing of Procambarus clarkii introduction.

Crayfish exploitation

Farmed and wild caught crayfish are a very significant crop in many parts of the world, and although it is virtually impossible to obtain accurate and reliable figures, it is likely that the 1995 harvest was in the region of 100,000 tonnes with a value in excess of US$ 100 million. More information on the subject: 'The Crayfish Industry in North America' by Jay Huner.

The main species exploited include: