36 / 116
36
How Do Crayfish Move?
Crayfish spend most of their time on the bottom of a pond or other body
of fresh water. To get around, they walk on their eight walking legs. These
legs are jointed, so they can climb over rocks and logs easily. Crayfish can
walk forward and backward. If a crayfish needs to move quickly, it can
shoot through the water very fast. It uses its tail like a paddle. With a quick
snap, the tail folds under its body, and the crayfish zooms away backward.
This is what crayfish do to escape a predator, such as a large fish or raccoon.
How Do Crayfish Get Food?
Crayfish eat mostly dead plants and animals. They find their food with
their antennae, using a sense similar to smelling. Their pincers work well
for tearing large food into smaller
pieces. And have you noticed that
the first four walking legs also
have tiny pincers at their tips?
These are good tools for picking up
small bits of food. The crayfish has
interesting mouthparts. They act
like scissors and teeth for cutting
and breaking food into pieces small
enough to swallow.
Crayfish can also use their pincers
to catch other live organisms for
food. The curved points at the tips
of the pincers can catch and hold a
fish that comes too close.
Crayfish
have
jointed
walking
legs.
Crayfish “smell” food with
their antennae.