Field Guide

Aquatic Invertebrates

Showing 1 - 10 of 26 results
Photo of a St. Francis River crayfish.
St. Francis River Crayfish
Faxonius quadruncus (formerly Orconectes quadruncus)
The St. Francis River crayfish is rather small and dark brown, with blackish blotches or specks over the upper surfaces of the pincers, carapace, and abdomen. It is limited to the St. Francis River and its tributaries.
Photo of a woodland crayfish.
Woodland Crayfish
Faxonius hylas (formerly Orconectes hylas)
The woodland crayfish is stout, reddish tan to dark brown, with numerous blackish specks and blotches on the pincers, carapace, and abdomen. It occurs only in Missouri, especially in the Black River and its tributaries.
Photo of an Ozark crayfish.
Ozark Crayfish
Faxonius ozarkae (formerly Orconectes ozarkae)
The Ozark crayfish is light brown to reddish brown with numerous black specks on the pincers and often on the abdomen as well. The pincers are broad and powerful. It lives in the White and Black stream systems.
Photo of a Big Creek crayfish.
Big Creek Crayfish
Faxonius peruncus (formerly Orconectes peruncus)
The Big Creek crayfish is moderately small and brown. It has a very localized distribution centered in Big Creek and its tributaries, in the St. Francis River basin. It lacks bright colors, but blackish specks and blotches occur over the top surfaces of the body and pincers.
Photo of a painted devil crayfish standing on a sandy substrate
Painted Devil Crayfish
Lacunicambarus ludovicianus (syn. Cambarus ludovicianus)
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.
Photo of a paintedhand mudbug carefully arranged against a black background
Paintedhand Mudbug
Lacunicambarus polychromatus (syn. Cambarus polychromatus)
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.
Photo of a saddleback crayfish.
Saddleback Crayfish
Faxonius medius (formerly Orconectes medius)
The saddleback crayfish has a bold blackish band across the hind margin of the carapace and lacks dark blotches or specks. The pincers are broad and powerful. It occurs in the Big and Meramec river drainages.
Photo of a shield crayfish, also called a ditch fencing crayfish.
Shield Crayfish (Ditch Fencing Crayfish)
Faxonella clypeata
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.
Photo of a Caney Mountain cave crayfish out of water on a wet, red-coated cave rock.
Caney Mountain Cave Crayfish
Orconectes stygocaneyi
One of three species of cave crayfish in Missouri, the Caney Mountain cave crayfish is known from only one location. Like many other cave invertebrates, this species is whitish and is blind.
Photo of a water nymph crayfish, side view of specimen carefully arranged against black background
Water Nymph Crayfish
Faxonius nais (formerly Orconectes nais)
The water nymph crayfish is normally found in streams but can also be found in a variety of other aquatic habitats. It is greenish brown or brown with no prominent markings. Its known distribution in Missouri is spotty.
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.