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This is the first crayfish. Both found in SW Michigan, in a small stream with lots of string algae. They were found in a widening of the stream after a culvert (Cement drain tube) in a city park. Claws have orange tips. Notice dark and light markings on thorax.


The next 2 pics are the 2nd crayfish. Found in same place as above. The pictures don't show it real well, but there is a red line between each segment of the tail. Plus the end of the tail is also lined in red. Claws have orange tips.

Nobody wants to take a guess at these? I'm wondering if they are prawn (freshwater shrimp). Their claws are awfully small for crayfish, compared to many of the other pics I have seen.

It's a crayfish for sure, but a very young one. It's hard to tell young crayfish apart, especially from just pictures. Adult animals would be a different matter.

Considering is was caught in Mich. and its definatly an Orconectes. The only four Orconectes in Michigan are:

Orconectes propinquus (pond, Lake)
Orconectes immunis (more of a pond, lake cray)
Orconectes rusticus
Orconectes virilis

Since it has orange tips on the claws I would say Orconectes virilis.

And I found the pic of O. virilis on the web. Here it is. Note this matches the smaller cray I have complete with orange-tipped claws, and red between the tail segments and on the end of the tail.

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