Crayfish Dissection

Astacoidea (Crayfish) Dissection

Background Information (Jordan)

• Habitat: Crayfish populate a large portion of the planet, living in freshwater lakes and rivers on multiple continents: including temperate regions of Northern and Southern hemispheres, though none are found on Africa or in India.
• Diet: Crayfish are known for their large, diverse diet. Depending on what aquatic regions they live, they will potentially eat shrimp, freshwater plantlife, small species of fish, worms, insects, plankton, and snails. If kept in captivity, they will eat pretty much anything given to them, so long as it is edible.
• Respiratory System: Crayfish gills are attached to the legs they walk with, which allows the gills, which are located underneath the crayfish’s tough carapace, to increase the surface area of the gills and allow water to flow in. The oxygen is then transferred into the bloodstream where it can be used for vital body processes.
• Fun facts: When crayfish molt their carapace, they oftentimes eat it once it has finished shedding. The crayfish do this in order to recover the nutrients that went into growing it in the first place.

Anatomy (Jordan)

Incision Guide (Jordan)

Resources (Jordan)

Habitat: http://science.jrank.org/pages/1858/Crayfish-History-habitat.html

Diet: https://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/schools/Lawson/Gradelevellinks/Crayfish/craydiet.html

Respiratory System: http://wiki.hicksvilleschools.org/groups/hsbiology/wiki/9abf5/Respiratory_System.html

Fun Facts: https://sci312crayfish.wikispaces.com/Fun+Facts+about+Crayfish

Dissection Procedure Video (Jordan and Jason)

Pictures taken and dissection procedure performed by Trejo and Jason