“Oh darling, don’t you ever grow up. ”
Apparently, the Big Sandy crayfish at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery didn’t get the memo. These little darlings grew from 6mm to an astounding, taggable size of 60mm in just three short months, a new record for rearing these crayfish at the hatchery. Their grow up glow up is promising news, as being a taggable size ensures these federally threatened crayfish get released into the wild as soon as possible.
These animals are being grown as part of our effort to restore Big Sandy crayfish in Virginia in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and Loughman Lab – WLU Crayfish Conservation Laboratory. Let’s cast a net of appreciation for all our national fish hatcheries and fisheries partners who work hard every day to promote healthy waters and make a huge splash in fisheries conservation. #WorldFisheriesDay
