Crayfish
Posted by Hannah Bailey on September 21, 2005
Q: Thanks for the information. Here's another question.
What protects the crayfish eyes since they stick out on a stalk?
Mrs. Baldwin says hi.
A: Wow Hannah, you're really asking some interesting questions! If crayfish had eyes like ours, they'd have a problem keeping them safe on their stalks. But, crayfish have very different eyes than humans. Crayfish eyes are much like insect eyes and are compound (made up of many tiny mini-eyes). The surface of the compound eye is not wet and delicate like ours but has a rather tough covering that does protect it. Take a look at our unit "Pixel Eyes" www.enaturalist.org and you'll see what compound eyes are like in insects. Although crayfish eyes aren't entirely the same, they're quite close to these.
I hope this helps. Thanks for your good question.
John Wiessinger ( September 22, 2005)