Editing Crayfish (section)

{{short description|Freshwater crustaceans}}
{{redirect|Crawfish}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| auto = yes
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Triassic|recent|earliest=Permian}}
| image = Paranephrops.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Paranephrops]]'' species ([[Parastacidae]])
| parent = Astacidea
| includes_text = [[Superfamily (taxonomy)|Superfamilies]] and [[Family (biology)|families]]
| includes = ;[[Astacoidea]]
* [[Astacidae]]
* [[Cambaridae]]
* [[Cambaroididae]]
;[[Parastacoidea]]
* [[Parastacidae]]
}}
[[File:Crayfish at Cynrig Hatchery.webm|thumb|Rearing white-clawed crayfish at Cynrig hatchery, [[Wales]]. Establishing a breeding population from introduced captive-bred animals.]]
[[File:Crawfish.jpg|thumb|Cajun style crawfish]]
[[File:A man selling dried crayfish in african market.jpg|thumb|A man selling dried crayfish at an African market]]

'''Crayfish'''{{efn|In some locations, they are also known as '''baybugs''', '''crabfish''', '''craws''', '''crawfish''',  '''crawdaddies''', '''crawdads''', '''freshwater lobsters''',  '''mountain lobsters''', '''mudbugs''', '''rock lobsters''',  '''signal crawfish''',  or '''yabbies'''.}} are freshwater [[crustacean]]s belonging to the infraorder [[Astacidea]], which also contains [[lobster]]s. Taxonomically, they are members of the [[Superfamily (taxonomy)|superfamilies]] [[Astacoidea]] and [[Parastacoidea]]. They breathe through feather-like [[gill]]s. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where  [[fresh water]] is running, while others thrive in [[swamp]]s, ditches, and [[paddy fields]]. Most crayfish cannot tolerate [[Water pollution|polluted water]], although some species, such as ''[[Procambarus clarkii]]'', are hardier. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or [[decomposing]], and [[detritus]].<ref>{{cite book |author1 = Christoph Needon |author2 = Johannes Petermann |author3 = Peter Scheffel |author4 = Bernd Scheibe |title = Plants and Animals (Pflanzen und Tiere) |publisher = Urania Verlag |location = Leipzig |year = 1971 }}</ref>

The term "crayfish" is applied to saltwater species [[#Other animals|in some countries]].