Ecology
A. astacus is nocturnal and feeds on worms, aquatic insects, molluscs and plants, spending the day resting in a burrow. They become sexually mature after three to four years and a series of moults, and breed in October and November. Fertilised eggs are carried by the female, attached to her pleopods, until the following May, when they hatch and disperse. The main predators of A. astacus, both as juveniles and adults, are mink, eels, perch, pike, otters, and muskrats.
Read more about this topic: Astacus Astacus
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