In the period before spawning, freshwater crayfish develop glair glands on the underside of the pleon. These glands produce the mucus for a tent-like structure in which the eggs are fertilized and attached to the pleopods. Long-term observation of females of slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, kept in the laboratory without contact to males revealed that glair glands developed in late winter a...

Freshwater biodiversity is globally threatened by various factors while severe weather events like long-term droughts may be substantially devastating. In order to remain in contact with the water or stay in a sufficiently humid environment at drying localities, the ability to withstand desiccation by dwelling in the hyporheic zone, particularly through vertical burrowing is crucial. We assesse...

For several hundred years freshwater crayfish (Crustacea-Decapoda-Astacidea) have played an important ecological, cultural and culinary role in Scandinavia. However, many native populations of noble crayfish Astacus astacus have faced major declines during the last century, largely resulting from human assisted expansion of non-indigenous signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus that carry and ...

Crayfish are charismatic creatures of high interest to humans, among others playing key roles in freshwater ecosystems. Considering the significance of indigenous crayfish species (ICS) as well as the risks posed by non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS) that may dissemite a crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci, astacological research has advanced particularly in Europe. In this context,...

The noble crayfish ( Astacus astacus ), a keystone species of high ecological, economic, and cultural importance in Europe, is threatened due to long-term population decline caused by anthropogenic pressure on its habitats, the presence non-indigenous invasive climate change. Since effective protection remaining populations requires conservation measures based comprehensive knowledge species, i...