FingerLakes Crayfish Shell After Molting Royalty-Free Stock Photo

5 inch Crayfish found on Cayuga Lake Near Ithaca NYS FingerLakes. They are crustaceans that have a hard external skeleton. This hard exoskeleton provides protection and allows movement, but limits growth. Due to growth, the crayfish must periodically shed its hard rigid shell and form a new one. This process is called molting, and may occur several times during the crayfishes first year of rapid growth. For a short time after the old shell has been discarded, the new shell is very soft and pliable. During this period an increase in size occurs. It is also during this period following each molt that the crayfish is most vulnerable to predators. Crayfish that have recently molted are commonly called soft-shelled crabs.