It's been my limited experience that crawdads tend to eat the submerged plants more than the others and tend to really like the ones that float their leaves on the surface. I have struggled with starting APW and Lilies due to the craws. The APW got uprooted overnight after I seeded the pond with over 100 sprigs. I assume they are after the more tender roots. The lilies are affected the same way except they don't get uprooted, but appear to be damaged at the roots which hinders the growth that can lead to the death of the plant. They also put the hammer on some Mud Plantain that I tried to get started.

I have taken to growing the APW and Lilies in hanging basket/buckets off the dock to keep the craws from doing what craws do. You can tell if a craw finds its way into the APW bucket by the overnight loss of greenery...remove the craw and it comes back fairly quickly. The lilies take longer for the craw's harm to show and it may be too late.

I have always thought that they were eating FA at my pond, but it may just be that they keep it muddy enough to thwart it. But, with the absence of forage, I have seen CC fill their belly with FA...Craws could be convinced to do the same I suspect.

I have a common Spike Rush at my shoreline and the craws don't touch it.

Plants that have been established with a high population of craws are...

Thalia Dealbata,
Arrowhead,
Pickerel Weed,
Common Spike Rush.

The Jury is out on whether the craws are getting at my Water Primrose, but I suspect they are. It's too soon to tell as I just installed them last late summer. They did not gorge on it, but it is having a hard time taking a hold.

Fish on!,
Noel