Author Notes - The Crawmad family was one of the harder creatures to write for, since I didn't find them as interesting as most of the other creatures, but I still had some interesting stuff to work with. Like how I kept typing 'mawdad' by mistake...

CRAWMAD FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

Is eating seafood supposed to make the back of your throat burn? I doubt it. Alright, I think I just found out that I'm allergic to seafood. That would explain a lot. Like why eating a cooked Crawmad nearly made my throat close. Okay, so maybe some of Louie's recipes are a bad idea…

My apparent seafood allergy aside, these guys have got some interesting traits. For one, they live underground. And I don't mean in caverns, but actually in the ground. It's kinda like how hermit crabs live in shells, but not quite. They also seem perfectly fine with living far away from water, which is quite odd for a crayfish.

Also the amount of times I typed 'mawdad' instead of 'crawmad' is INSANE. I should have fixed that all by now, but I can't be certain. I swear, I proofread these documents a hundred times before publishing them and I still miss some obvious typos!

(Also also, every time I look at these things and other Decapods, I can't help but think of that guy from Futurama. What was his name again? Dr Eggman? Whatever. Which is kinda annoying, seeing as that show is one of the reasons I wanted to go into space travel but now it's ruining an entire order of creatures for me.)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

Members of this family highly resemble crayfish. More specifically, they bear a particularly strong resemblance to the members of the Squilla genus, though they are more closely related to Paguroidea superfamily (i.e. hermit crabs). They sport vibrant red colours on their tough exoskeletons, and sickle-shaped pincers.

Their eyes are on stalks, and have different appearances depending on the species. The Camabarus rustica (Hermit Crawmad) has small black eyes on the end of their short stalks, with a vertical green 'pupil' of sorts going down the middle. On the Camabarus subterranid (Bug-Eyed Crawmad), as its common name would suggest, these eyes are much bigger and the black-and-green eye becomes its pupil, surrounded by a fairly large sclera (the white part of the eye).

The other major difference between the two species is their size. While Hermit Crawmads can vary wildly in size - ranging from 3-9 centimetres mouth-to-tail - the Bug-Eyed Crawmad can reach lengths of 15-20 centimetres. This is due to it being well-protected from predators, so it can repeatedly go through the process of ecdysis (the process of shedding its old skin or outer cuticle) to grow to immense sizes, compared to its shorter-lived Hermit counterpart.

HABITAT

Crawmads have their homes around just about anywhere you can find fresh water - ponds, lakes, rivers - ranging from the tropics to more temperate forests. They thrive best in tropical areas, and if introduced to colder climates will attempt to migrate deep underground. Oftentimes, they fail to survive the trip.

They are not limited to aboveground bodies of water either, as all members may be found in caverns. The Hermit Crawmad can be found deep underground, occupying caves of both fertile soil and shower tiles. Unlike those found aboveground, those living underground might not make their homes near bodies of water. They can easily survive in such conditions, but often lack moisture and tend to have lower lifespans on average. Bug-Eyed Mawdads, in contrast, remain close to the surface and remain in caverns close to the light.

Members of this family live not inside a shell like the other species in the Paguroidea superfamily, but instead inside burrows in the earth. Hermit Crawmads dig a small burrow for themselves, and build low barriers around the entrances out of dirt. Bug-Eyed Crawmads, meanwhile, digs out a network of tunnels under the surface that have multiple entrances. Care must be taken around this species, for they may not emerge out of the same hole they disappeared through.

Crawmads spend most of their life within these burrows and/or tunnels. They typically only leave for feeding or mating, but will also migrate if resources appear to have run out or if the climate gets too cold.

DIET AND DEFENCES

All members of this family hunt in the same way. They remain in their burrows until they can feel the vibration of something approaching. They will then peek their head out and decide if the intruder is suitable prey. If not, it goes back into hiding, but if yes then it will wait until their prey gets close enough. Suitable prey includes: Pikmin, Skitterleaves (see, 'Skitterling'), and various small insects.

Once their prey has been chosen, the Crawmads will propel themselves out of their nests and grab the creature in their pincers. When doing this, they can only travel a short distance in a straight line and may miss. If they do miss, they will turn around and scurry back to their nests. If they succeed however, they will back away to their nests and eat their meal in the safety of their burrow. Crawmads have slow metabolisms and can afford to endure long gaps between successful hunts.

The exoskeletons of this family resists most direct and blunt attacks. Their exposed abdomens are very vulnerable, and they can easily be defeated if this part of their body receives enough damage. They take great lengths to assure that this part of their body is not vulnerable to predators, though it does not always succeed. Many Hermit Crawmads meet their end when returning back to their burrows, only for a predator to grab them by their exposed rear and get them right out of their exoskeleton.

Bug-Eyed Crawmads fare considerably better than their smaller counterparts when it comes to survival. Their weakened area is on their underside, which is hardly ever exposed. However, if their big eyes receive enough punishment, the beast will flip over onto its back from the pain, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Crawmads are unlike many species in that they, though they are typically solitary, do not exhibit aggressive behaviours when met with opposing specimens, but instead show passive behaviours towards each other that appear to be friendly gestures.

When two Hermit Crawmads of different litters but the same sex encounter each other, they will not fight as one might suspect but instead will polish each other's exoskeletons while emitting noises comparable to feline purring. Both Crawmads will excrete hormones associated with serenity, and then allow the other to share their territory. Pairs of Crawmad friends have been shown to share caught prey with each other.

Bug-Eyed Crawmads are rarely seen and so will not encounter each other as often, but will exhibit the same behaviours. Befriended specimens will often share interconnecting tunnels, and those that are bigger will defend their smaller friends ruthlessly.

Crawmads who bond with each other in such a way are often confused for same-sex mates. This is not to say that there are no same-sex mates in the Crawmad family, for same-sex couples are fairly common. The behaviours between courting and friendship are distinct, though unclear to those who are unaware of the differences.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

Crawmads of both known variants court in much the same way. Mating season begins in the early weeks of summer, and both the males and females will embark from their burrows and search for a mate. If friends have been made, they often embark on these journeys together. They will only wander around on the surface at night, due to most of their predators being diurnal (active at day) and the darkness of the night keeping them hidden. When they encounter another Crawmad of the same species but opposite sex, they will grab each other's pincers in a gesture that appears to be to them what kissing is to humanoid species.

The two Crawmads will dig out a big burrow for each other, and will proceed to mate inside it while safe from all predators. The female gestates for approximately one month, whereupon she will lay 5-15 eggs in the deepest part of her burrow. Crawmads typically mate for life, and both the mother and father will defend the eggs. Any befriended Crawmads will help defend them too.

The eggs hatch after a week. The newly-hatched Crawmads hardly resemble their parents at first, being nothing more than a leg-less rounded body with translucent skin. They feed off the plankton in the water until they are big enough to consume the prey caught by their parents. Their exoskeletons grow and harden by the first week, and through repeated ecdysis will eventually grow big enough to go dig their own burrows.

OTHER NOTES

Bug-Eyed Crawmads are long-lived creatures, with many living as long as 50 years. Hermit Crawmads, meanwhile, typically only live 10 years at the maximum. Hermit Crawmads in captivity typically live even shorter lives, with 5 usually being the maximum, but this is due to poor care. If they are treated properly, they can live up to 20 years and grow much larger than they usually do in the wild.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Hermit Crawmad -

I find it strange that despite the tough outer shell on the head, it has no protection on the hips. I'd never put such an obvious flaw in one of my designs. Although I have heard that an intentional flaw lends a certain charm to one's creations. Maybe I'll build one into my next spaceship! - Alph

As soon as I get close, it sticks its head out to see what this thing is approaching its lair. It must be shy, because it usually pops right back inside. And it must be shameless, because it always shows its butt while retreating. Gross. - Brittany

When it senses prey, it pops its armoured head out of its nest and lunges for its target. Like lots of tough guys, it's too confident to protect its back. Move in quick to strike its exposed hindquarters and the fight will be over in one snap of its huge pincers. - Captain Charlie

Bug-Eyed Crawmad -

It's similar to designs on our planet featuring exoskeletons, but much, much bigger. Its eyeballs are equally enlarged, making them perfect targets. Their homes aren't a single hole but rather a network of interconnected tunnels. If you see one retreat below ground, be warned that it could reemerge somewhere else entirely. - Alph

All I can think about since we defeated one of these is how nice it would be to sleep on that soft belly. I could even use its shell to make a canopy bed! (Just for me, though. It's obviously not big enough for all of us.) - Brittany (Emily's Notes - I've run the maths. Share it.)

I tried to take it in one-on-one combat, to spare the lives of my Pikmin squad, but its shell was too hard even for my steely fists. If only I was tall enough to reach its eyes! Then we'd see who's really tough. - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - The European version of Brittany's HC notes changes 'butt' to 'backside', which makes me sad as an European (technically Australian) because 'butt' is much funnier. For the most part, I've been using the European version of the notes since that's the version of the games that I have, but sometimes I use the American version if I think it's funnier or more interesting.

Anyone else hate the Segmented Crawbster? Cos I'm dreading the next entry.