Signaalvähk
- Language
- Estonian
- Transliteration
- Signaalvahk
- IPA
- /ˈsiɡnaːlˌvæhk/
Compound: signaal + vähk signaal: signal, for the pale patch at the hinge of the claw, vähk: crayfish ↳ vähk from Proto-Finnic *vähi (crayfish) ↳ Borrowed from Proto-Baltic, compare Latvian vēzis (crayfish) and Lithuanian vėžys (crayfish) Estonian took its crayfish word from Baltic, where neighbouring Finnish rapu is a Germanic loan.
Freshwater crayfish typically 6-9 cm long, reaching 16-20 cm. Smooth carapace, brown to reddish above, with a distinctive white to pale blue-green patch at the hinge of each claw. Native to the Columbia River basin of western North America. Introduced to Europe from 1960 and established in 27 countries by 2009. A largely resistant carrier of crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci), which is fatal to European crayfish.