Any crayfush need air?

[Fishguy2727]

Any crayfish NEED any air? The owner at the LFS I work at says what he understands is that they need access to air (such as shallow water with a turtle platform). I asked him more and he said he understands that they go through phases and that in some phases they need air and others they don't.

Any truth in any of this?
Do ANY species need air?

[badflash]

Access to air doesn't hurt, but they don't need it. They do need air in the water. A species ID would help. Some crays can spend quite a while out of water as they go from one pond to another.

[Fishguy2727]

But none of them need it? Obviously they need oxygenated water, but not air?

[badflash]

None that I keep or know that anyone else keeps. O2 in the water, but not access to air.

There are species that build mud cones and spend time above the water line, but this does not appear to be a requirement. They have gills and not lungs.

[Mustafa]

The store owner probably tried to say that there ar species of crays out there that are more terrestrial than aquatic and it would make no sense to keep these crays in an aquarium. Such crays spend most of their time underground, forage on very wet "lawns" and build "chimneys" that are visible as little mounds. The species regularly in the hobby are all fully aquatic.