The Crayfish Plague Pathogen in Ireland.

Crayfish plague is a devastating disease of European freshwater crayfish and is caused by the oomycete (), believed to have been introduced to Europe around 1860. All European species of freshwater crayfish are susceptible to the disease, including the white-clawed crayfish . is primarily spread by North American crayfish species and can also disperse rapidly through contaminated wet gear moved between water bodies.

Multiple drivers of decline in the global status of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidea).

Rates of biodiversity loss are higher in freshwater ecosystems than in most terrestrial or marine ecosystems, making freshwater conservation a priority. However, prioritization methods are impeded by insufficient knowledge on the distribution and conservation status of freshwater taxa, particularly invertebrates. We evaluated the extinction risk of the world's 590 freshwater crayfish species using the IUCN Categories and Criteria and found 32% of all species are threatened with extinction.