Abstract
This comprehensive book by eight authors from three Czech institutions, which can be considered the centres of astacological research in the country, summarizes the latest knowledge about freshwater crayfish, their taxonomy, evolution and biogeography, current distribution of European species, crayfish genetic variation, anatomy, biology, breeding, diseases and conservation. The book contains the following eleven chapters: Systematics and Distribution; Evolution and Historical Biogeography; Genetics; Crayfish Species in Europe; Morphology and Anatomy; Reproduction and Life Cycle; Crayfish Ecology; Diseases, Parasites and Commensals; Breeding, Production and Marketing; Crayfish Monitoring; Crayfish Conservation.
The comprehensive list of Czech and Slovak astacological literature is presented as an appendix.