The Astacus astacus is nocturnal, which means that it is only active at night. They eat worms, aquatic insects, mollusks, and plants. They spend the day resting in a burrow. They are sexually mature after three to four years. They breed in October and November of every year. The eggs will stay with the female until May. There are many predators that eat the Astacus astacus such as, minks, eels, perch, pike, otters, and muskrats. Because of the crayfish plaque that was brought from the American species the signal crayfish ("Pacifastacus leniusculus"), it is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.