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HABITATS
The White River Crayfish appears to
prefer quieter waters with abundant
vegetation and is seldom collected
from streams with strong flow. It is
most often found in sloughs, swamps,
ponds and seasonally flooded ditches
but will also use creeks and smaller
rivers. Substrates include silt, muck,
packed mud, sand and gravel. It will
dig a simple burrow if a waterbody
dries up or for the winter.
BEHAVIOR
They have been found to be tolerant of
a wide range of pH, pollution,
temperature, turbidity as well as a
variety of bottom types and
vegetation.
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REPRODUCTION
Not too much is known about the
reproduction in the White River
Crayfish. It is possible that females
mate in the fall before entering their
wintering burrows, then lay and
fertilize their eggs in the burrow in
the spring. But they must have an
extended breeding season as females
with eggs have been found from March
to December and mature males from
April to November. Females carrying
eggs and young tend to hide in a
burrow so they are seldom collected.
One female collected in March in
Missouri was carrying 303 young. In
Illinois, one female collected in
December had 30 young.
FEEDING AND SPECIES INTERACTIONS
In Kentucky, they are often collected
along with Devil Crayfish, Calico
Crayfish and Red Swamp Crayfish
(among others).
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In Wisconsin, they
have been found with Devil Crayfish,
Prairie Crayfish and Northern
Crayfish.
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IMPACTS
The White River Crayfish is widely
grown for food and the bait trade.
