Essay On Crawfish

The aquatic animal known as the crawfish has become well-known in the scientific community due to its common use in a lab or the natural field. While some of its species are known for their invasiveness and “affect [on the] fundamental aspects of aquatic systems like water quality” (Pearl), the crawfish has provided insight into various fields of science because of its ability to be easily manipulated. This small animal has been utilized by many researchers studying the origins of the animal’s own energy source in plant detritus (Garzoli et al., 2014, p. 47) to simply measuring the effects of it on freshwater ecosystems (Pearl, Adams, & McCreary, 2013, p. 171). The use of the crawfish has even stemmed into experiments related to humans, …show more content…
While the majority produced link to the food industry, some crawfish is “sold for recreational fish bait and a small amount is marketed to the aquarium trade and to educators, who use the animals as study specimens” (Romaire, McClain, Shirley, & Lutz, 2005). Crawfish is mainly harvested in Louisiana (Romaire et al., 2005) and is often limited in “regional and national distribution” because of its “short shelf life” of several days (Romaire et al., 2005). Transport of the aquatic animal requires meticulous detail. Transported in mesh sacks, the crawfish are not to be crushed but arranged as to “restrict crawfish movement” (Romaire et al., 2005). Along with this, they should be “covered with a tarp to keep gills from drying out” and set under crushed ice so their metabolism slows and reduces movement (Romaire et al., 2005). This allows the crawfish to reach their final destination in one piece. While they fetch a price of less than a dollar per pound (Romaire et al., 2005), the multiple purposes they fulfill are priceless. Since a crawfish undergoes the process of aerobic respiration likes humans, it aids in providing valid assumptions when referring to the common way humans generate energy through aerobic