Happy Aquatic Animal Day!

There are so many amazing aquatic species in the world, and still new ones are getting identified, even here in the Okanagan. One newly identified species is the Okanagan Crayfish. While it was known that crayfish were in the area, many people thought that this crayfish was the same as the Signal Crayfish which is native to the Pacific Northwest. However, this population was found to be more distinct than your normal Signal Crayfish, so it became its own species. Okanagan Crayfish can be found in Okanagan lake as well as smaller surrounding lakes.

Unfortunately, our Okanagan Crayfish is already facing a potential threat, and that is from the Rusty Crayfish. The Rusty Crayfish is an invasive crayfish that could end up displacing our local crustacean. To prevent this, we need to ensure that invasive crayfish are not being moved between waterbodies. So let's try keep our newly identified Okanagan Crayfish safe from this unwanted cousin.