European crayfish species

Stone crayfish male (<em>Austropotamobius torrentium</em>) rare orange color morph in a Stone crayfish female
Stone crayfish male (right) initiating copula Stone crayfish female with relatively few and large eggs, which is typical for this <em>K</em>-selected species
Stone crayfish with a pigmentless left cheliped White-clawed crayfish – the naturally rarest crayfish species in Germany and now close to extinction
The white-clawed crayfish in Germany belong to the western form, i.e. <em>Austropotamobius pallipes</em> sensu stricto White-clawed crayfish between shelters
<em>A. pallipes</em> heavily infected with the microsporidian <em>Thelohania contejeani</em>. This condition is known as Porcelain disease and occurs frequently in White-clawed crayfish The southern form of White-clawed crayfish, <em>Austropotamobius italicus</em>.
The western form of White-clawed crayfish is usually darker in color than the southern form. Juvenile Noble crayfish feature often dark spots on the cephalothorax
Noble crayfish, <em>Astacus astacus</em>, are the largest crayfish species native to Central Europe. The species was once widespread and abundant in lowland streams and lakes but has been severely impacted by crayfish plague and alien crayfish. Today, the species is virtually extinct in its natural prime habitat, that is summer-warm low-elevation streams. Blue colore morphs, as seen here in a Noble crayfish male, occasionally occure in many crayfish species