Astacus
| Astacus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Astacus astacus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Family: | Astacidae |
| Genus: | Astacus Fabricius, 1775 |
| Species | |
| |
Astacus (from the Greek αστακός, astacós, meaning "lobster" or "crayfish")[1] is a genus of crayfish found in Europe and western Asia, comprising three extant and three extinct, fossil species.[2]
Due to the crayfish plague, crayfish of this genus have declined in Europe and have in many European regions been replaced by the North American signal crayfish, which carries the plague but is unaffected by it.[3]
Extant species
A. astacus
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Astacus astacus | "European crayfish", "noble crayfish" or "broad-fingered crayfish" | France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan Peninsula, and north as far as parts of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and the western parts of the former Soviet Union | The most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional foodstuff. Like other crayfish, A. astacus is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers, and lakes. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm. |
| Astacus balcanicus | Vardar river basin, Lake Pamvotida (Greece) and Lake Ohrid (North Macedonia/eastern Albania) | |||
| Astacus colchicus | Rioni river basin (Georgia) |
References
- ^ Emmanuil Koutrakis; Yoichi Machino; Dimitra Mylona; Costas Perdikaris (2009). "Crayfish terminology in Ancient Greek, Latin, and other European languages" (PDF). Crustaceana. 82 (12): 1535–1546. doi:10.1163/001121609X12475745628586. Archived from the original (PDF proof) on 2011-07-21.
- ^ Crandall, Keith A; De Grave, Sammy (2017). "An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 37 (5): 615–653. doi:10.1093/jcbiol/rux070.
- ^ "Noble crayfish (Astacus astacus)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2008-03-28. Retrieved May 6, 2007.
