Crawfish vs. Shrimp: What Are the Differences?

At a glance, these aquatic animals might seem similar, but they’re very distinct from one another.

That’s why we’ve decided to show you the various differences between a crawfish vs. shrimp, so you know exactly what animal you’re seeing in the water or on your plate.

Size

Crawfish are larger than shrimp, have long, thin pincers where the shrimp have none, and exclusively live in freshwater whereas shrimp live in freshwater and saltwater.

Morphology

The greatest morphological difference between crawfish and shrimp is that crawfish have pincers and shrimp do not have them.

Water Type

Shrimp live in freshwater and saltwater, but crawfish live in freshwater only.

Phylogenic Families

Crayfish belong to the Astacoidea superfamily that includes lobsters, and shrimp belong to the infraorder Caridea.

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