Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps, ditches, and paddy fields. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species, such as Procambarus clarkii, are hardier. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or decomposing, and detritus.
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the world's oceans, in freshwater, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and have a single pair of pincers on each arm. They first appeared during the Jurassic Period.
Hermit crabs are anomuran decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusc shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons. There are over 800 species of hermit crab, most of which possess an asymmetric abdomen concealed by a snug-fitting shell. Hermit crabs' soft (non-calcified) abdominal exoskeleton means they must occupy shelter produced by other organisms or risk being defenseless.
The Japanese spider crab is a species of marine crab and is the biggest one that lives in the waters around Japan. It has the largest known leg-span of any arthropod around 3.7 meters. The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani,, literally translating to “tall legs crab”. It goes through three main larval stages along with a prezoeal stage to grow to its great size.
The Chinese mitten crab, also known as the Shanghai hairy crab, is a medium-sized burrowing crab that is named for its furry claws, which resemble mittens. It is native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal habitats of East Asia from Korea in the north to Fujian, China in the south. It has also been introduced to Europe and North America, where it is considered an invasive species. The species features on the list of invasive alien species of Union concern. This means that the import of the species and trade in the species is forbidden in the whole of the European Union.
Siebenrockiella leytensis is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to the Philippines. It is classified as critically endangered. It is known as the Philippine forest turtle, the Philippine pond turtle, the Palawan turtle, or the Leyte pond turtle. Despite the latter common name, it does not occur in the island of Leyte but is instead native to the Palawan island group. It is locally known as bakoko in Cuyonon.
A freshwater prawn farm is an aquaculture business designed to raise and produce freshwater prawns or shrimp for human consumption. Freshwater prawn farming shares many characteristics with, and many of the same problems as, marine shrimp farming. Unique problems are introduced by the developmental life cycle of the main species.
The golden coin turtle, also known commonly as the Chinese three-banded box turtle and the Chinese three-striped box turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is native to southern China. There are two recognized subspecies.
The Cozumel raccoon is a critically endangered species of island raccoon endemic on Cozumel Island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. It is sometimes also called the pygmy raccoon, dwarf raccoon, Cozumel Island raccoon, and Cozumel raccoon bear.
Algae eater or algivore is a common name for any bottom-dwelling or filter-feeding aquatic animal species that specialize in feeding on algae and phytoplanktons. Algae eaters are important for the fishkeeping hobby and many are commonly kept by aquarium hobbyists to improve water quality. They are also important primary consumers that relay the biomass and energy from photosynthetic autotrophes up into the food web, as well as protecting the aquatic ecosystem against algae blooms.
Apistogramma nijsseni is a species of cichlid fish, endemic to highly restricted local black water habitats in the Quebrada Carahuayte, a small stream in the Ucayali River drainage, southern Peru. The male reaches a maximum length of 8 cm (3 in), the female remaining somewhat smaller. Apistogramma brooding females assume a bright yellow and black aposematic coloring: in A. nijsseni, unusually, a healthy, unstressed female retains this coloring. The species is popular aquarium fish amongst dwarf cichlid hobbyists, though it does not often appear in the general pet fish market.
Potamon fluviatile is a freshwater crab found in or near wooded streams, rivers and lakes in Southern Europe. It is an omnivore with broad ecological tolerances, and adults typically reach 50 mm (2 in) in size during their 10–12 year lifespan. They inhabit burrows and are aggressive, apparently outcompeting native crayfish.
Amarinus lacustris is a species of freshwater crab from Australia, New Zealand and nearby islands, where it lives in water of various salinities. It grows up to 10 mm (0.4 in) wide, with an H-shaped groove on its back. It is an omnivore and is eaten by crayfish and fish. It was first discovered in Lake Pupuke, near Auckland, and is the only freshwater crab in New Zealand.
Seychellum alluaudi is a species of freshwater crab endemic to the Seychelles, and the only true freshwater crab in that country. It lives in rainforest streams on the archipelago's granitic high islands. Although it may be abundant, little is known about its biology. If its habitat were to decline in quality, S. alluaudi might become endangered, but it is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Arquatopotamon jizushanense is a freshwater crab species found in Yunnan, China, and the only species of the genus Arquatopotamon. Its carapace is normally darkish brown and the walking legs and chelipeds more reddish brown.
Nanhaipotamon is a genus of freshwater crabs, in the subfamily Potamiscinae, found in southern China and Taiwan. As of 2018, 18 species have been described. The genus is named after the South China Sea, for it occurs mostly in coastal areas. The genus was first described by R. Bott in 1968 as Isolapotamon (Nanhaipotamon), i.e., a subgenus of Isolapotamon.
Nanhaipotamon macau, the Coloane hill crab, is a species of freshwater crab found solely in twelve hill streams on the island of Coloane in Macao. A member of the genus Nanhaipotamon, it was first described in December 2018 and is closely related to other land crabs such as Nanhaipotamon hongkongense.
Parveen F. Absar is a wildlife biologist from India. In 2017, she was credited with the discovery of a species of freshwater crab called Teretamon absarum, of the genus Teretamon and species speleaum.
Limnopilos naiyanetri, commonly referred to as the Thai micro crab or pill-box crab, is a freshwater hymenosomatid crab endemic to Thailand. Its presence has only been confirmed in the Tha Chin River. The species was described in 1991 and represents the type species of Limnopilos. The Thai micro crab was first introduced to the aquarium hobby in 2008 when it was imported to Germany by the tropical fish importer Aquarium Glaser GmbH, and has slowly grown in popularity with aquarium hobbyists. It remains a relatively rare species on the market and detailed information on the husbandry of this species is scarce.
Ghatiana atropurpurea is a species of arboreal crab from India that was first identified in 2016. Unlike other species of its genus, Ghatiana, it is not endemic to the Western Ghats.
