A crayfish is a small freshwater creature that looks like a miniature lobster, with a hard shell, two large front claws, and a segmented tail. They're also called crawfish or crawdads, depending on where you live in America. These crustaceans scuttle along the bottoms of streams, rivers, and ponds, hiding under rocks during the day and coming out at night to hunt for food.

Crayfish are scavengers, which means they eat almost anything they find: dead fish, plants, insects, and algae. Their claws work like tools, grabbing food and bringing it to their mouths, and also defending themselves from predators like fish, birds, and raccoons. When threatened, a crayfish can shoot backward through the water by rapidly flipping its tail.

People catch crayfish for food, especially in Louisiana, where crawfish boils are a beloved tradition. At these gatherings, hundreds of crayfish are boiled with spices, corn, and potatoes, then spread out on newspaper-covered tables for everyone to share. The meat inside the tail is sweet and tender.

If you're exploring a creek and flip over a rock, you might startle a crayfish. Watch how it moves: claws raised defensively, ready to pinch, and that quick backward escape when it decides you're too big to fight.