Narrow-Clawed Crayfish

Distribution: Europe, eastern Russia, and the Middle East.

Average Size Length: 15 cm

Eggs per season:200–400

Age of maturity: 3 years

Diet:Omnivore

IUCN red list status: Least Concern



The Narrow-clawed Crayfish can also be known as Turkish Crayfish. Its colors vary from pale to dark green, yellow and sometimes blue. It is easily identified by its long narrow claws, and the rough upper surface of its claws. Normally, they grow up to 15 cm but some may reach 30cm long.

It is an omnivorous species, feeding on macrophytes and invertebrates. They are active during the day and especially during winter.Spawn happens in the spring and females lay around 200 to 400 eggs and become mature when reach 3 years.

There are some threats affecting this crustaceous. The main threat is overfishing, in some countries it has been extensively harvested for food. They are also affected by pollution and are susceptible to the crayfish plague, however some are immune which allows populations to recover. It is listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.