Common crayfish (Austropotamobius torrentium), or simply crayfish, is nowadays more common than the larger jelševca. It is a characteristic inhabitant of fast-flowing and cold streams and rivers, where it usually hides under stones. But we do not find it in torrent streams, large sediment-transporting rivers and standing waters. It usually lives at higher elevations than jelševec, but if the two species already live in the same watercourse, the crayfish selects parts with a rocky bottom, and jelševec selects parts where the bottom is sandy.
In Slovenia, the crayfish is distributed mainly in streams that flow into the Sava or Drava, i.e., in the basins of the Sava and Drava.
Crayfish rarely grows more than 10 cm in length. Its body is usually brown, and the underside of the pincers is lighter. The crayfish also has the surface of the pincers studded with large granular outgrowths and is therefore very rough to the touch. Likewise, the crayfish is not as long-lived as its larger relative, as studies show that it does not live longer than 8 years.
The crayfish has never been of economic interest, but it is an excellent indicator of good water quality and thus of the preservation of the natural environment, and therefore it is also one of the priority species on the list of species for the establishment of Natura 2000 areas. Like the other native brook crayfish, the crayfish here is protected and it is prohibited to catch it!
