Many of us have seen the crawfish "mounds" in the fields (or even in our own yards) and crawfish in the pot, but not many of us have seen a crawfish carrying eggs or her young. Barry Toups is hoping to teach us more about one of the staples of Acadiana through these photographs.

Toups, owner of Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Rose's Bed and Breakfast north of Kaplan, shared photos of the development of crawfish, and I thought that, with his permission, I'd share them with you.

Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Rose's is a unique bed and breakfast in that it offers crawfish excursions, allowing visitors to work a real crawfish field, and then enjoy an authentic Cajun crawfish boil.

Toups is a Vermilion Parish native, and he is as interested in sharing the Cajun Culture as he is in running a business; he shares informative posts on their Facebook page frequently.

So, here we are with the 5 stages in the development of a crawfish:

 

  • Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
    Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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    1

    Crawfish, Heavy With Eggs

    In this photo, Toups holds a female crawfish heavy with eggs. If you happen to catch one like this, the best thing to do is gently return it to the pond!

  • Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
    Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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    2

    Crawfish, After Eggs Have Hatched

    In this photo, you can see that the eggs have hatched, and all of those little bug-looking things are crawfish! The little crawfish stay attached to the mom for about two weeks, then they release and are on their own.

    Again, the best thing to do if you catch a crawfish in this state is to gently return her to the water.

  • Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
    Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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    3

    Crawfish, Tee-Tiny Stage

    Here is a young crawfish, just a few weeks after being on its own. Not quite ready for the pot!

  • Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
    Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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    4

    Crawfish, Ready For The Pot

    Now here is a crawfish! A beautiful beast, perfect for boiling (watch out for dem pinchers! Aye yie!!)

     

  • Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
    Townsquare Media Photo courtesy of Crawfish Haven
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    5

    The Final Stage

    The most delicious stage of the development of the crawfish: the boil!!

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