Mudbugs, crawdads, crayfish

[Sharon Frey <sharonfrey at earthlink_net>]

Where I grew up we called 'em crawdads.  I didn't learn to savor their
flavor until work travel took me out of Kansas.  Stranger Creek running
through a little town in a Northeastern  valley of a very flat state
called Kansas frequently threatened to flood the town that I was born
in, grew up in and still call home.  Every flood when young I collected
small washed up crawdads, kept them in a shoebox of mud and learned with
age to release them in the small part of Stranger Creek that was deep
enough for swimming not so far behind my house.

That said, I know for a fact that they eat each other and are quite
comfortable submerged.  When I lived in Dallas, early spring 5 lb bags
of crawfish could be had in the supermarket.  I put some extra's in a 5
gallon aquaria in my garage.  They shunned fresh frozen food for each
other.  I was amazed at how quick and completely another of their
species would just disappear completely and the fresh frozen blocks too.

Stranger creek is tribuitary of the muddy Mississippi.  If anyone wants
to know how my Grandma dressed and treated fresh caught carp just so it
melted in your mouth, ask..  She was never fond of catfish .. said it
tasted muddy.

Best,

Sharon
sharonfrey at earthlink_net





From my experience, crayfish can't "swim up" but are quite comfortable
submerged.  What they will most probably miss is their natural habitat
of mud.  As for the blue colored "little lobster" offered in the aquaria
industry, I have no knowledge or experience.

Best,

Sharon
Sharonfrey at earthlink_net