Friday, April 18, 2003

You say crayfish, I say crawfish

The New Orleans Times-Picayune recently published this great article about species of crayfish native to America that are wreaking havoc abroad. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), a staple of many folks' diets in Louisiana, are gobbling up native plants and animals in places like Italy and Spain. They have also been introduced to African countries, including Kenya, where a study was done showing a link between the crayfish and a reduction in snail-borne disease in humans. The article also discusses the impact of the introduction of several other crayfish species. (If your from NOLA, the previous sentences will make more sense if you replace "crayfish" with "crawfish." :-)

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