Potamon fluviatile Potamon fluviatile Potamon fluviatile is a freshwater crab found in or near wooded streams, rivers and lakes in Southern Europe. It is an omnivore with broad ecological tolerances, and adults typically reach in size during their 10–12 year lifespan. They inhabit burrows and are aggressive, apparently outcompeting native crayfish. "P. fluviatile" has been harvested for food since classical antiquity, and is now threatened by overexploitation. Many of the island populations are particularly vulnerable, and the Maltese subspecies has become a conservation icon. A population in Rome may have been brought there before the founding of the Roman Empire. Adult "Potamon
Potamon fluviatile "P. fluviatile", but a number of animals take it opportunistically, including rats, foxes, weasels, birds of prey and jays. The most significant predator may be mankind, with individual prospectors able to catch 3,000 to 10,000 in one season. Adults occupy burrows, while smaller individuals shelter under stones. The entrances to the burrows may be more than from the stream's edge and are always above water level. The burrows may be more than long, and probably serve to protect the crabs from extreme cold. "Potamon fluviatile" is an aggressive species, mostly attacking with the larger right claw, since 90% of individuals