I know of no good link that deals with the autecology of papershell crayfish. There are some good paper copies of journal articles about crayfish ecology. Generally - Some time after mating the female lays about 200 (50-300) eggs, which she carries in a mass under her tail. After several weeks the eggs hatch, and a hoard of minute, perfectly formed, ravenous baby crayfish emerge. At first they continue to ride along under the female's tail, eating tiny waterborne bits of food, but soon they leave this security and head out on their own. During these early days many are eaten by fish, insects, and other crayfish, but some always survive to fulfill their destiny.
Comment - If 25 female crayfish each laid 150 eggs that hatched and no predators were present, a small pond could easily have 2000-3000 crayfish which is enough activity to cause turbid water especially if aeration is present for water currents to keep silt/detritus in suspension. Recycling of plant material from crafish garzing would also contribute to increased productivity and increased phytoplankton.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/16/12 10:48 AM.
