This article is about the genus of crayfish. For the city in Greece, see Astakos. For the ancient Greek city now in Turkey, see Astacus (Bithynia). For the mythical figure, see Astacus (mythology).
Due to the crayfish plague, crayfish of this genus have declined in many European regions, being replaced by the invasive North American signal crayfish, which carries the plague but is unaffected by it.[3]
Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1775) - known as the "European crayfish", "noble crayfish" or "broad-fingered crayfish" - it is distributed across Europe, in France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan Peninsula, and north as far as parts of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and the western parts of the former Soviet Union. It is the species of crayfish with the largest natural distribution in Europe, and a traditional foodstuff. Like other crayfish, A. astacus is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers, and lakes. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm.
