Crayfish can be found just off the shores of Florida's coastline and also in streams, creeks, rivers and lakes. Only existing in the Bay County area of Florida, the Panama City crayfish is protected by the state. The Sims Sink crayfish lives in the murky waters of Northern Florida and is the only colorless crayfish in the state. The Blue Creek crayfish can be found in the streams of Clay, Duval and Putnam county. This crayfish hides at the bottom of the creeks during the day and only comes out at night to feed. Other crayfish in Florida include Black Creek and Econfina.
Two major types of shrimp can be found in the coastal waters of Florida and sometimes in waterways near the coast. The Squirrel Chimney Cave shrimp, also known as the Florida cave shrimp, is a colorless shrimp with colored internal organs that can be seen through the shell. The cave shrimp is found in underwater caverns of north central Florida. The mantis shrimp looks like a praying mantis and is colorful with different shades of brown and a mixture of neon colors. This shrimp lives in underwater burrows and holes off the coast of Florida.
Crabs can be found both on land and in the tropical waters of Florida. Most commonly known in the coastal waters of Florida are the stone crab and blue crab. There are also land and sand crabs, which live in holes they burrow in the banks of rivers and in the sands of the beach. Land crabs can be found migrating from the beaches to the river banks of the Indian River Lagoon in the fall.
Three main species of lobster can be found in the coastal waters of Florida and are seasonally trapped for the state's seafood industry. The spiny lobster and rock lobster can be found in most coastal waters of the state. The Florida Keys lobster primarily lives in the tropical waters of southern Florida and the Keys.
