Red Swamp Crayfish

Also known as Louisiana Crawfish, Mudbug, Louisiana Crayfish, Red Swamp Crawfish

Red swamp crayfish are highly adaptable freshwater crustaceans known for their dark red bodies, long claws studded with bright crimson bumps, and ability to survive drought by burrowing deep into mud. They dig extensive networks of underground tunnels that can weaken ditch banks and earthen levees while disrupting native aquatic food webs. Highly fecund and tolerant of low-oxygen water, these opportunistic omnivores have spread from their native southern wetlands to become a major invasive species across multiple continents.