Difference Between Lobster and Crayfish

Lobster and Crayfish are very commonly differentiated by people and people find them very similar when looked at by the naked eye. However, that is not the case.

The differences between Lobsters and Crayfish are not limited to their select cooking styles. It goes way beyond, they both are a completely different set of animals and belong to different genetic families.

Key Takeaways

1. Lobsters are marine crustaceans with a hard exoskeleton found in saltwater environments; crayfish are freshwater crustaceans with a hard exoskeleton found in streams, rivers, and ponds.
2. Lobsters are typically larger, with a spiny exterior and two large claws; crayfish are smaller, with a smooth exterior and two smaller claws.
3. Lobsters are considered a delicacy and used in various dishes, including lobster bisque and lobster rolls; crayfish are often used in Cajun and Creole cuisine and are a popular food source for many animals.

Lobster vs Crayfish

The difference between crayfish and lobster is that the crayfish live in freshwater which includes rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. Whereas, the lobster lives in saltwater which includes oceans and the sea. Also, crayfish are generally small while lobsters are comparatively large. 

For the most part, lobsters are bigger than crawfish and can grow up to more than 20 inches. When lobsters are gathered for food, they are in any event eight inches in length.

Lobsters favor little sea creatures and at times, they become scavengers. The flavor and the surface of the squat lobster are like that of shrimps. Except if something else, both the taste and the surface of crayfish and lobster is equivalent.

Lobster belongs to the Palinuridae family while Crayfish belongs to Canbaridae, Astacidae, and Parastacidae family. Lobsters are found in North America while Crayfish are generally found in Europe.

This is a reason that Europeans sometimes refer to Lobsters as Sea Crayfish.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Lobster	Crayfish
Family	Lobster belongs to the Palinuridae family	Crayfish belongs to Canbaridae, Astacidae and Parastacidae family
Geographical location	Lobsters mainly live in Europe	Crayfish mainly live in North America
Size	Lobsters are larger than crayfish	Crayfish are comparatively smaller.
Diet	Lobsters mainly eat small fishes, snails, and prawns	Crayfish mainly eat plants, worms, and insects.
Color	Lobsters are colorful	Crayfish have a greenish color
Habitat	Lobsters live in saltwater	Crayfish live in freshwater.
Claws	A lobster has two large pincers or claws	A crayfish do not have them.

What are Lobsters?

Lobsters are a family of large marine crustaceans, it is the common name of marine decapod crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails. They prefer to live in crevices or burrows which exist on the seafloor. They also have claws.

Lobsters belong to the Palinuridae family. They are mainly found in Europe and are comparatively larger in size than Crayfish. They live in saltwater which includes oceans and seas.

They are colorful and have a set of two large pincers or claws. They mainly eat small fishes, snails, and prawns. The true lobsters (Homaridae) have claws (chelae) on the first three pairs of legs, with very large claws on the first pair.

In the words of people who eat seafood, they are often called sea crayfish. However, it must be noted that lobsters are a lot different than Crayfish. Both physically and genetically.

Genetically they belong to completely different families while physically they have a lot of differences in their appearance as well as style of living.

What is Crayfish?

Crayfish are freshwater Crustaceans. Appearance-wise Crayfish has a joined head and thorax and a segmented body. Their head has a sharp snout, and their compound eyes are on movable stalks.

Their exoskeleton, or body covering, is thin but tough. Adult Crayfish can be about 3 inches long.

Adult Crayfish can be about 3 inches long. Crayfish belongs to Canbaridae, Astacidae, and, Parastacidae family. They are mainly found in North America and are comparatively smaller than Lobsters. 

Crayfish live in freshwater and mainly eat plants, worms, and insects. Appearance-wise they are green in color. They are invertebrates i.e they do not have a backbone. They defend against their attackers using their strong claws.

Many people confuse between Crayfish and Lobsters and find them similar. People fond of eating seafood often refer to Lobsters as sea crayfish. They do so because Lobsters live in seawater while Crayfish live in freshwater.

Main Differences Between Lobsters and Crayfish

1. Lobster belongs to the Palinuridae family while Crayfish belongs to Canbaridae, Astacidae, and Parastacidae family.
2. Lobsters are found in North America while Crayfish are generally found in Europe. This is a reason that Europeans sometimes refer to Lobsters as Sea Crayfish.
3. Lobsters are large in size. Crayfish are comparatively smaller in size. This is the reason for people in North America to often refer to Crayfish as mini Lobsters.
4. Lobsters mainly eat small fishes, snails, and prawns while Crayfish mainly eat plants, worms, and insects. This differentiation in eating habits is seen in their texture.
5. Lobsters can be colorful while Crayfish have a greenish color. Even after this differentiation in color people often confuse as they find them similar.
6. Lobsters live in seawater while Crayfish live in freshwater. This is another reason Europeans call Lobsters as sea Crayfish.
7. A lobster has two large pincers while Crayfish does not possess them. However, the claws of Crayfish are strong enough to fight against an attacker.

References

1. https://rupress.org/jgp/article-abstract/44/6/1089/30533
2. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.2307/1542217