White-clawed Crayfish

White-clawed Crayfish Natural History

Size

These crayfish grow to between 6-12 cm and weigh up to 90g.

Habitat and Distribution

This is a freshwater species found in the UK and throughout Europe in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.

Age

They can live between 8-12 years.

Diet

This omnivore eats invertebrates, carrion, water plants and dead organic matter.

Threats

The White-clawed Crayfish is listed as Endangered by the IUCN. They are affected by a range of threats with the greatest being that of invasive species of crayfish such as the signal crayfish. These invasive species are aggressive predators for habitat and food and will even prey on the White-clawed Crayfish themselves and they carry a disease which is fatal to the White-clawed Crayfish.

Damming, water abstraction and channelisation are leading to local declines as are pollution and loss of cover (such as tree roots and pebbles). It is thought that they are now extinct in Portugal.

Groups and Breeding

It takes 3 years for them to reach sexual maturity in the wild or around 16 months in captivity.

Females can carry 20-160 eggs. They breed in the Autumn and their eggs are protected under their pleopods (tails) until they hatch (April- June). They will remain under their Mother’s pleopods until their second moult when they will be ready to explore the waters for themselves but young only have a 10% chance of surviving to adulthood in the wild.

Interesting Facts

This is the UK’s only indigenous crayfish.

The White-clawed Crayfish During Your Day Out in Kent

We welcomed our first White-clawed Crayfish to the hatchery in 2021. Currently we are home to 30 young individuals who are a part of an exciting new conservation project for us. We plan to raise and release this keystone species here in Kent. Please visit them in our Bug House to learn more about them and this vital new project.