Natural Highlights: Ambiguous Crayfish
The Ambiguous Crayfish (Cambarus striatus) is one of 8 crayfish species so far known to inhabit the Wolf River and its wetlands. Why the name "ambiguous"? The species seems to have two different color variations or morphs, one with stripes and one without, sometimes within the same population. This species is also variable in its habits, sometimes creating complex burrows in the mud and sometimes living under rocks or woody debris in streams. Crayfish - also known as crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, and other names - are omnivorous crustaceans, eating living and dead plant and animal matter (mostly other invertebrates), and serving important ecological functions, such as helping to maintain food webs by processing leaf litter into nutrients and organic matter, and being important prey items for fish and other wildlife. Of course, crayfish are also economically - and gastronomically - important to people, who harvest them for food or fish bait. There is much still to learn about crayfish, but one thing is certain: they all depend on clean water and healthy aquatic habitats, such as those protected by the Wolf River Conservancy.
Dr. Susie Adams, an aquatic biologist with the USFS Center for Bottomland Hardwood Research, will provide an virtual overview of crayfish at 6:30pm, Thurs., Oct. 27th. Please join us!
For more information on crayfish, visit these links:
The Ambiguous Crayfish (Cambarus striatus) is one of 8 crayfish species so far known to inhabit the Wolf River and its wetlands.
