Crayfish vs. Octopus — What's the Difference?

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters (to which they are related). In some parts of the United States, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mudbugs, or yabbies.

Octopus (pl. octopuses, see below for variants) are soft-bodied, eight-limbed molluscs of the order Octopoda (, ok-TOP-ə-də).

Any of various freshwater crustaceans of the families Astacidae and Cambaridae of the Northern Hemisphere and the family Parastacidae of the Southern Hemisphere, resembling a lobster but considerably smaller. Also called mudbug; also called regionally crawdad.

Any of various carnivorous marine cephalopod mollusks chiefly of the family Octopodidae, having a soft body, eight arms with suckers, a large distinct head, and a mouth with a strong beak.

See spiny lobster.

Something, such as a multinational corporation, that has many powerful, centrally controlled branches.

Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.

Any of several marine molluscs of the family Octopodidae, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.

A freshwater crustacean (family Cambaridae), sometimes used as an inexpensive seafood or as fish bait.

(uncountable) The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food.

A rock lobster (family Palinuridae).

An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre.

(AU) A freshwater crayfish (family Parastacidae), such as the gilgie, marron, or yabby.

To put (or attempt to put) one's fingers, hands or arms in many things or places at roughly the same time.

(Singapore) The species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family (Scyllaridae).

To spread out in long arms or legs in many directions.

To catch crayfish

To plug a large number of devices into a single electric outlet.

(to backpedal, desert, or withdraw)

(by extension) To grow in use vastly beyond what was originally intended.

See Crawfish.

To hunt and catch octopuses.

Warm-water lobsters without claws; those from Australia and South Africa usually marketed as frozen tails; caught also in Florida and California

To behave like an octopus.

Tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly

A genus of eight-armed cephalopods, including numerous species, some of them of large size. See Devilfish.

Small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster

Any member of the genus Octopus.

Large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters

Something resembling an octopus in having numerous controlling arms or branches that reach widely and influence many activities; - used mostly of organizations, such as diversified corporations.

Tentacles of octopus prepared as food

Bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight long tentacles