Crayfish facts

Adult WCC can grow up to 12 centimeters (invasive signal crayfish
can grow much larger up to 20cm).

WCC are primarily found in clean, fastflowing rivers and streams. They
prefer well-oxygenated water with plenty of hiding places among rocks and vegetation.

The WCC life cycle includes an egg stage, a juvenile stage, and adulthood. They shed or ‘moult’ their exoskeleton as they grow.

Females can lay up to 100 eggs (signal crayfish can lay up to 300!) and mate in autumn (when daylight and temperature are reduce). Females carrying eggs are called ‘berried’ as the clutch of eggs held underneath the tail look like berries.

Once hatched in spring, the juvenile crayfish stay attached to the female for 2-3 weeks. At this stage they feed off their yolk sacs. When they leave the female, they start to forage on very small food items such as plankton.

Adults only start to breed when they are 3-4 years old, and the females only lay one set of eggs each year.

WCC are long-lived invertebrates – they can live 7+ years!