Crayfish In Berry is a photograph by Constantine Gregory which was uploaded on May 13th, 2015.
Title
Crayfish In Berry
Artist
Constantine Gregory
Medium
Photograph
Description
Female Crayfish - In Berry
This crayfish was out of water for only a few seconds to allow for this photo. She was put back into the stream and swam off !!!
The crayfish usually becomes sexually mature in its second year. Mating, which occurs between July and September, consists of a transfer of sperm from the male to a receptacle in the abdomen of the female where the sperm is stored. Egg laying by the female occurs in late fall. The female releases the eggs from her ovaries and simultaneously releases the stored sperm to fertilize them. The fertilized eggs become dispersed and cemented within a glue-like substance (called glair) that has been exuded from glands on the underside of her abdomen. The female crayfish, depending on her size, will carry from 60 to 300 eggs through the winter. The egg-carrying female is said to be �in berry� because the egg mass looks something like a berry. Females are often observed �in berry� during April and May. The eggs hatch in 2 to 20 weeks depending on water temperature. When the eggs finally hatch into mini crayfish, the new babies will continue to be attached to the abdomen by a thin stalk. When they shed their skins for the first time, they will lose the connection with the female but remain with her for up to 2 weeks before leading independent lives.
Uploaded
May 13th, 2015
