Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/720963
31 One distinctive feature of this species is the large size of the carapace compared to the tail. It is somewhat laterally compressed so this is not very evident from above, but from the side you can see the extra height of the carapace of this crayfish. The key identification feature for the Devil crawfish is the shape of the terminal elements of the first pleopod of a male. A mature Form I pleopod is shown at left above while an immature Form II pleopod is shown below. You can see that they have the same shape, it just that the Form II doesn't have the yellow tip. . The two halves of the aureola of the Devil crawfish touch or overlap. There is no gap between the two halves. The rostrum of the Devil crawfish (and of burrowing crayfish in general) is short, blunt and curves down over the eyes. You can see here that it is deeply dished and smooth. The edges form a rim around the rostrum. This photo shows how the rostrum curves down over the eyes. This may allow this crayfish to crawl through its burrow more easily. The chela or claw of the Devil crawfish is short, broad and powerful. Coloration and presence/absence of tubercles will vary. There are never any setae between the fingers. It has been noted that burrowing crayfishes hold their claws vertically while the open-water forms hold them horizontally. Apparently this is to allow them to crawl through their burrow while they carry balls of mud. 199 . I don't know that I have seen this except that they don't seem to hold them as "flat" as the Northern Crayfish. Female crayfish are identified by their associatio n with and similarity to male crayfish collected from the same area as there are no keys that work with females. But since we have only five species in Nebraska, the