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Crayfish are moderately sized freshwater Crustacean of order Decapoda, similar in appearance to the American lobster. The term is also applied occasionally to marine spiny lobsters, although there have been attempts to discourage this usage. In the southern US, the preferred spelling is "crawfish." Crayfish are the écrevisses of French cuisine. Freshwater crayfish, found on all continents except Africa, number about 300 species worldwide. Distribution spans both hemispheres except for a narrow tropical belt approximately 15–20° on either side of the equator.
Canadian Crayfish
In Canada, there are 11 species in two distinct subfamilies separated by the Rocky Mountains. The Pacific watershed of British Columbia contains two subspecies of Pacifastacus lenisculus. East of the Rockies, there are nine species in two genera: Orconectes and Cambarus. They are found from Alberta (Orconectes virilis) to New Brunswick (Cambarus bartonii), but the most diverse population appears to be in Ontario, where all nine species have been recorded.
