Crayfish

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans of the infraorder Astacidea, the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea, closely related to lobsters, breathing through feather-like gills and built from twenty body segments divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen; they are opportunistic feeders that eat both living prey and decomposing matter, average about 17.5 centimeters in length, and have walking legs tipped with small claws. Most species live in freshwater brooks and streams, though some inhabit swamps and paddy fields, and the greatest diversity, more than 330 species, is found in southeastern North America. Only a small portion of a crayfish's body is eaten, but the animal is farmed and consumed worldwide; Louisiana accounted for 93 percent of United States crayfish farms as of 2018, while Asian production, led by China, made up 95 percent of the world's crayfish supply that same year.