Crayfish

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Crayfish Crawdad MudbugCrawfish!!!
Dr. Craig S. Kasper HCC FAS 1012C
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Introduction

• Crawfish production is a major market in the U.S.
• Red Swamp Crawfishnative to the lower
  Mississippi River Drainage.
• Preferred habitatswamps!
• Fooddecaying vegetation, aquatic plants,
  filamentous and attached algae and small benthic
  animals.

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Introduction

• As water levels recede (early summer) crayfish
  burrow (Chimneys)
• As water levels increase (Fall/Winter)adults
  forage on decaying vegetation.
• Wild crawfish are harvested with baited traps in
  the Spring.
• Crawfish double-cropped with rice.

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General Crayfish Information

• Adult size is 2" to 6" for most US species. Some
  Australian varieties can be much larger (Cherax
  quadracharanatus, Yabbi).
• Growth occurs following molting or ecdysis
  (shedding of their carapace). 

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General Crayfish Information

• Nearly 150 spp. in N. America, gt540 worldwide,
  but only several are cultured in this country.
• Color and size varies with species, diet, and
  age.
• Market value5/lbs. when
• in season.

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Red Swamp Crawfish
Crawfish ponds
Harvesting traps
Rice fields
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1998 harvest16,409,000 kg
Grading crawfish
90 of crawfish harvest in the U. S. is from
Transport to market alive
Louisiana
Boiled crawfish
Removing tail meat
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Dinner anyone??

• Crawfish Boil RecipeIngredients
• 30 pounds live crawfish (one sack)2 cups salt
  for purging2 (3 ounce) boxes crawfish or crab
  boil seasoning or 2 cups liquid crab boil4
  lemons, sliced in half8 bay leaves20 small
  onions, peeled5 pounds small red or new
  potatoes, unpeeled10 to 15 ears of fresh corn on
  the cob, shucked and broken in halvesWhole
  mushroomsOld Bay Seasoning