A Field Guide to Crayfish

Or crawfish if you prefer

Field Guide Vol 224

As we roll into August, Swedes prepare for one of the favorite celebrations of the year, kräftskiva, the crayfish parties. For the month of August, the image of crayfish is ubiquitous in the country, emblazoned on all sorts of party supplies and dining accoutrements with celebrations taking place on and around the second Wednesday of the month. But crawfish (or crawdads!) are hardly just a Scandinavian delicacy. In honor of crayfish season, this week’s Field Guide is dedicated to these celebrated crustaceans.

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“No! Crayfish require these drinks!” Swedish anti-Prohibition poster. 1922.

Crayfish Culture

By Brett Martin

On a summer day, many years ago, a lone crayfish freezes as Oskar’s and my shadows pass over the water. The creature is about an inch and half long and a shade more copper-red than the bottom of the stream. Oskar, all of four feet tall from bare feet to platinum crew cut, puts a finger to his lips. Slowly, he creeps forward, lowering the butterfly net he’s holding until it just meets its reflection on the clear surface and then quietly slides beneath. The crayfish watches as if hypnotized, worrying its front legs like it’s knitting. When the rim of the net gets within three or four inches, the spell breaks. With a kick of its fat, curved tail, the thing springs to life and propels itself beneath an overhanging rock, leaving only a small puff of gravelly sediment and a disappointed seven-year-old in its wake.