The White-clawed Crayfish is a crustacean and not a fish like its name suggests. It is also known as the European Freshwater Crayfish and can be found in freshwater rivers such as the 'Kent' and 'Eden' in Cumbria. It can also be found in shallow streams that have rocky surfaces and lots of plant life. as well as in lakes, canals, water-filled quarries and reservoirs.

The White-clawed Crayfish has a brown or olive-brown coloured shell and looks a bit similar to a lobster because it has two long arms with large pincers joined to them. The pincers are used to grab hold of prey. The underside and claws of this crayfish are an off-white colour and this is why it is called the ‘White-clawed Crayfish’. It also has four pairs of walking legs and lots of tiny legs on the underside which are called ‘swimmerets’. It has two pairs on antennae on the front of its head. One pair is very long and one pair is very short.

White-clawed Crayfish are very secretive creatures that like to hide in the day under large stones or amongst plant life. At night they emerge from their hiding places in search for food such as water worms, water insects, larvae, snails and small fish.