Crayfish are fresh water crustacean that look like a tiny lobster, to which they are closely related. Out of 250 species in the South-East United States, the species Procambarus clarkii, known as Louisiana red swamp crayfish, is the most well known.In places like Louisiana it is farmed commercially and consumed in various dishes.

This species is very invasive and takes over any place it has been introduced into, such as in Washington State, Spain, and elsewhere.

Crayfish introduced into the Nile

Crayfish has found its way to the Nile via an unfortunate mishap. Someone who has a shrimp farm in Al-Qanater imported the crayfish from the USA, thinking they are a kind of prawn. However, they ate their way through the mud paritions, destroying all the other tanks. What does the shrimp farm owner do? He gets rid of the pests by releasing them into the Nile!

Distribution of Crayfish in the Nile

A recent study has shown that the entire delta is infested with crayfish after the above mishap. The crayfish have not yet made its way south of the delta, stopping at Bani Sweif.