Huge crawfish and dead crawfish claws of 4"

Some big crawfish pictures.

Crawfish of Missouri - Northern Crayfish

Northern does not refer to Missouri. This is a common crawfish in the White River basin and attains a length of up to 6 inches, maybe longer. Can take on a turquoise hue in the clear, cold, North Fork.

Crawfish of Missouri - Hubbs Crayfish

This powerfully built crayfish is usually olive-tan or reddish brown, without prominent spots or blotches. A narrow blackish band is present at the junction of the carapace and abdomen. The carapace of Hubbs' crayfish is broad and dorsally flattened, and is separated at its middle by a space (areola). Adults are about 2 to 4.2 inches in length.

Crawfish of Missouri - Spothanded Crayfish

The most distinctive feature of this moderately large crayfish is the presence of a conspicuous black spot on each pincer near the base of the movable finger. The carapace is reddish brown or olive-brown, with a narrow crescent-shaped dark bar across its hind margin. The abdomen is olive-green, with bright red outlining the free margins of all its segments. The pincers, carapace and abdomen are without conspicuous dark specks or blotches. Adults are about 2.3 to 5.4 inches in length. Common in the North Fork and ROLF.

Crawfish of Missouri - Coldwater Crayfish

This medium-small, stout crayfish has a blue-green head and pincers, and a dark rust-brown carapace. The abdomen has a pair of conspicuous white lateral spots on the first segment, and a tapering V-shaped dark central stripe. Adults are about 1.2 to 2.8 inches in length. rare but occurs in the North Fork.

Crawfish of Missouri - Ozark Crayfish

Ozark Crayfish-Orconectes ozarkae Williams

This is a rather plain, light brown to reddish-brown crayfish with numerous black specks on the pincers and often on the abdomen as well. The pincers are broad and powerful. Adults are about 1 to 3.4 inches in length.

The Ozark crayfish occurs widely on the southern Ozarks, from Rosaring River and Flat Creek in Barry County eastward to the Little Black River in Ripley County. It seems to be absent from the North Fork and Bryant Creek.

Common, superficially similar species within the range of this crayfish are the golden crayfish and the ringed crayfish. Both of these species lack conspicuous blackish specks on the pinchers and abdomen, and the ringed crayfish has prominent brown or black rings on the fingers near their tips.

Crawfish of Missouri - Long Pincered Crayfish

Long Pincered Crayfish-Orconectes longidigitus (Faxon)

This large, colorful crayfish is characterized by very long, slender blue-green pincers that are studded with prominent yellowish knobs. The carapace and abdomen are olive-tan trimmed with bright red. This is our largest native crayfish, with adults achieving a length of 6 inches or more. It reaches maturity at a length of about 3.5 inches.

The longpincered crayfish occurs only in the White River basin of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. It lives in the pools of Ozark streams along bluffs where large slabs of rock provide numerous crevices in which it spends the daylight hours. At night it emerges to forage over the stream bottom. Substantial populations of this species also occur in Table Rock Lake

The long, blue-green pincers and large size distinguish this crayfish from other species within its range. The superficially similar spothanded crayfish has a conspicuous spot on each pincer at the base of the movable finger.

(Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation).