Crawfish
Crawfish
Crawfish (pronunciation: /ˈkrɔːfɪʃ/), also known as crayfish, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, or mudbugs, are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related.
Etymology
The term "crawfish" comes from the Old French word crevice, which became crayfish in English. The word was later altered to "crawfish" due to the influence of "fish" in English.
Description
Crawfish are characterized by a joined head and thorax, or midsection, and a segmented body, which is sandy yellow, green, red, or dark brown in color. The head has a sharp snout, and the compound eyes are on movable stalks. Crawfish are usually about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long.
Habitat
Crawfish are found in a variety of habitats including clean, flowing waters (streams and rivers), brackish water, hot springs, and caves. They are most commonly found in brooks and streams where fresh water is abundant.
Diet
Crawfish are omnivores, feeding on plants, insects, plankton, snails, and fish.
Related Terms
- Crustacean: A large, diverse group of arthropods which includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and barnacles.
- Arthropod: An invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages.
- Invertebrate: Animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column, derived from the notochord.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Crawfish
- Wikipedia's article - Crawfish
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski