Introduction to Fisheries

Hi my name is Claude.

I am an Astacidea. We can be found on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. You might have heard them call me Crayfish in the north or Crawdad in the central region. But I am from New Orleans in the south where they call me Crawfish. Some of my female friends call me ClawDADDY!

I love it down here in NOLA (that’s short for New Orleans Louisiana). I love the Zydeco music and the jazz on every corner. I am quiet Famous around these areas. So famous the KING (ELVIS) himself sang a song about me. Check it out

 I have been a few movies and even stared in a Horror film. Also Nike made me my own shoes.

I could Brag all day but let me tell you where I came from. I started out in a small rice pond in south Louisiana where my mother gave birth to me. That’s my mom! Do you see me? (I am the good-looking egg on the left). I had a lot of brothers and sisters!!

 

This is me a few weeks older (still looking handsome)

Our life span is not very long. We can live up to 8 years but not a lot of us make it to that ripe old age. The average is about three years. We grow very rapidly to reach adult size in 3-4 months. We either mate and start the process over again, or we will die.

We do most of our eating at night. We will almost eat anything even dead animals. We crawl and live on the bottom of areas .We also also need fresh water like ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams. We dig burrows in the mud for homes and also hide under rocks, logs, and lily pads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a body of a crustacean, such as a crab, lobster, or prawn, which is made up of twenty body segments  grouped into two main body parts. We are a fast and tough animal and behave in many different ways like when I sense movement or danger; I raise my pincers and arch my back.  I can also curl my tail under and shoot backwards in the water.  The females also curl its tail to protect her eggs.  I can also defend my home by pinching intruders to show who’s the boss.  

 

 

 

 

We like to be eating by fish, snakes, birds and a lot of other predators. But if I must say Humans eat us in the Best Way! You throw huge Festivals in our honor. And even dress like us!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do loose a lot of relatives on these days!! But you do love a lot of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will have to leave you now I am late for a festival where I am being honored as the King of the festival!! I hope they are going to have food there I am hungry!

Oh before I leave there is a famous saying we say down here that I would like to pass on to you. It is     “Laissez les bon temps roulez’

which means: “Let the Good Times Roll’

And remember!