A crawfish is the same animal as a crayfish: a small freshwater cousin of the lobster, with a shell, claws, and a tail people eat. Crawfish is the American word, especially in the US South — Louisiana crawfish boils are the picture many Americans have. In most other English, people say crayfish. It is not a kind of fish, even though the spelling looks that way.

A crawfish小龍蝦 is the same animal as a crayfish跟crayfish是同一種動物 a small freshwater cousin of the lobster是lobster（龍蝦）的一種淡水親戚 with a shell, claws, and a tail有殼、有螯、還有尾巴 people eat是人會吃的部分 Crawfish is the American wordcrawfish是美式說法 especially in the US South尤其是美國南方 Louisiana crawfish boils路易斯安那的crawfish boils（小龍蝦水煮趴） are the picture many Americans have是很多美國人腦中的畫面 In most other English在其他大多數英語裡 people say crayfish人們說crayfish It is not a kind of fish牠不是一種魚 even though the spelling looks that way雖然拼法看起來很像

Cooks and menus use it for the animal and for the meat. Informal to neutral; regional, not posh.

Cooks and menus廚師和菜單 use it for the animal and for the meat用這個字來指這種動物，也指牠的肉 Informal to neutral語氣算口語到中性 regional, not posh帶點地方色彩，不是文雅的字

Though actually, Americans also use crawfish as a verb: to crawfish (out) is to back away from a promise, because the animal shoots backwards in the water. That use is informal and Southern.

Though actually不過其實 Americans also use crawfish as a verb美國人也把crawfish當動詞用 to crawfish (out) is to back away from a promisecrawfish (out)是指反悔、打退堂鼓 because the animal shoots backwards in the water因為這種動物在水裡是往後衝的 That use這種用法 is informal and Southern是口語的，而且帶美國南方腔

In Taiwan you will meet the animal as 小龍蝦, often spicy, and that is usually this same creature.

In Taiwan在台灣 you will meet the animal as你會看到這種動物叫做 小龍蝦 often spicy通常是辣的 and that is usually this same creature通常就是同一種生物