Red Swamp Crawfish : Biology And Exploitation

Crawfish are crustaceans, a class of arthropods that has radiated into more marine and freshwater environments than any of its insect relatives. Over the years, food fisheries have developed into a successful business with up to 45,000,000 lbs. of crawfish harvested annually. However, most of this activity has been centered in Louisiana where the unique topography of the land results in huge overflow swamps. In North America crawfishes are most commonly used for fish bait. Their unique trophic status as detritivores establishes them as important food resources for carnivorous fishes. North Americans have long depended upon such fishes for food and recreational use. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that crawfish, which play such an important role as fish foods, have also become popular fish baits. In fact, several popular artificial fish lures are designed to simulate crawfish. This volume is devoted to a survey of the biology and exploitation (fishery management and culture) of the most cosmopolitan of the crawfish species, Procambarus clarkii (P. clarkii) (Girard, 1852), more commonly called the red or red swamp crawfish. Thirty to sixty million pounds are harvested annually from swamps and marshes and cultivated ponds, primarily in Louisiana. The catch may exceed forty million pounds in years when excessive flooding generates a more favorable habitat. The red crawfish is native to northern Mexico and the Mississippi Valley into southern Illinois. It has been successfully introduced on both the East and West coasts of the United States.