Everyone in Louisiana knows something about crawfish -- especially how tasty they can be when boiled with just the right combination of spices. Yet these small crustaceans -- known as "crayfishes" by scientists and "mudbugs" by many fishermen -- offer more than a delicious meal. In Crawfishes of Louisiana, Jerry G. Walls identifies the state's thirty-nine types of crawfishes, explains their biology, and explores their importance in Louisiana's history, culture, and economy.

Walls briefly describes each species and subspecies of crawfish currently known to live in Louisiana, as well as...