Rusty crayfish

Rusty crayfish
Orconectes rusticus
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Superfamily: Astacoidea
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Orconectes
Species: O. rusticus
Binomial name
Orconectes rusticus
(Girard, 1852)

The rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, is a large, aggressive species of freshwater crayfish which is native to the U.S. states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Its range is rapidly expanding in North America, displacing native crayfishes in the process:[2] it is known to have reached New England, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and even Manitoba. The rusty crayfish was first captured in Illinois in 1973, and has been collected at over 20 locations in the northern portion of the state.[3] In 2005, O. rusticus was found for the first time west of the Continental Divide, in the John Day River, Oregon, which drains into the Columbia River.[4]

Contents

Catching & Eating

Rusty crayfish are edible. Many areas that consider them invasive encourage the trapping and eating of these species. Trapping may require a license, so check with your local authorities. Traps are like miniature lobster traps, being a cage with a tapered opening that allows easy entrance but prevents exit. Rusty crayfish may be prepared in the same manner as any other type of crayfish, either by boiling or frying.

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Further reading

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