Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 1 - 10 of 18 results
Media
Photo of a spothanded crayfish viewed from above on white background.
Species Types
Scientific Name
About 38 species in Missouri
Description
Crayfish are freshwater aquatic invertebrates that look a lot like small lobsters, to which they are related. There are about 38 species of crayfish in Missouri.
Media
Photo of a painted devil crayfish standing on a sandy substrate
Species Types
Scientific Name
Lacunicambarus ludovicianus (syn. Cambarus ludovicianus)
Description
The painted devil crayfish is a burrowing lowland species. In Missouri, it is known from only a few locations in the Bootheel. Its overall color is olive green to blue, with reddish and cream markings.
Media
Photo of a paintedhand mudbug carefully arranged against a black background
Species Types
Scientific Name
Lacunicambarus polychromatus (syn. Cambarus polychromatus)
Description
The paintedhand mudbug is a burrowing crayfish known in Missouri from only a few locations along the eastern border of the Bootheel. It is tan to olive green, and the abdominal segments and tail fan are trimmed with red. The pincers have red spots and red tips.
Media
Photo of a digger crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Creaserinus fodiens (formerly Fallicambarus fodiens)
Description
The digger crayfish is heavy-bodied, reddish tan, with a pale, iridescent stripe along the midline of the abdomen and short, broad pincers. In Missouri, it is known from only a few locations, mostly in southeastern counties.
Media
Photo of a devil crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Lacunicambarus aff. diogenes (syn. Cambarus diogenes)
Description
The powerfully built devil crayfish is usually a uniform olive or tan, without obvious blotches or spots. It digs underground burrows, often with mud chimneys, and has a wide distribution.
Media
Photo of a White River crawfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Procambarus acutus
Description
Adult White River crawfish are usually a deep burgundy red with a black V-shaped stripe on the abdomen. Juveniles are gray with dark spots scattered over the carapace. In Missouri, this species mostly occurs in the Bootheel and north along the Mississippi River.
Media
Photo of a vernal crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Procambarus viaeviridus
Description
Adult vernal crayfish are rusty red with a blackish wedge-shaped central stripe along the length of the abdomen. In Missouri, this species occurs only in our southeastern swamps and is usually only seen in February and March.
Media
Photo of a red swamp crawfish or crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Procambarus clarkii
Description
Adult red swamp crawfish are dark red (nearly black on the carapace) and have a wedge-shaped black stripe on the abdomen. Juveniles are a uniform gray, sometimes overlain by dark wavy lines. In Missouri it lives in the Bootheel.
Media
Photo of a Shufeldt’s dwarf crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Cambarellus shufeldtii
Description
Shufeldt’s dwarf crayfish is small, reddish brown to gray, with a paired series of dark, wavy stripes or dashes along the dorsal surface. In Missouri, it occurs in our southeastern lowlands and north along the Mississippi River floodplain.
Media
Photo of a shield crayfish, also called a ditch fencing crayfish.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Faxonella clypeata
Description
The shield crayfish is small and tan, with a pattern of paired blackish dashes along the surface of the carapace and abdomen. The pincers are narrow, with short, abruptly tapering fingers. In Missouri it occurs only in our southeast counties.
See Also

About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri

Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.