Man spots creature that ‘looks like a lobster’ in Sheffield park

The creature was discovered swimming in the lake at Crookes Valley Park, which, being fresh water, means that it cannot be a lobster.

It is most likely a crayfish – a freshwater crustacean that resembles a lobster but is smaller.

Crayfish typically inhabit freshwater streams with a depth of less than one metre, much like the area where this one was spotted.

The only crayfish native to the UK is the white-clawed crayfish, which is in decline.

Populations of this crustacean have been falling since 1970s and the introduction of the non-native North American signal crayfish. These are known to carry diseases to which the white-clawed crayfish is not resistant.

Consequently, white-clawed crayfish are classified as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN red list of threatened species and are at risk of global extinction.

Both white-clawed and signal crayfish have been spotted in Sheffield’s waterways.