Kisatchie painted crayfish likely live about two years. 

Kisatchie painted crayfish mate in September and October. Female crayfish carry the eggs over winter on special appendages under the tail. Juvenile crayfish hatch from eggs in May and stay attached to the tails of their mother until they can swim freely. 

Male crayfish alternate between breeding and non-breeding forms at the twice-yearly molts. Males molt to the breeding form prior to mating (around September) and stay in this form through winter. In March, males molt into the non-breeding form until the next reproductive season.

Kisatchie painted crayfish resemble small lobsters. They have a segmented body, eight walking legs, swimmerets and two large claws.

Measurements
Length: 1 to 4 in (20 to 102 mm)
Weight: 0.1 to 1 oz (3 to 30 g)

The Kisatchie painted crayfish is olive-colored over most of its body, but gets its common name from the red markings that look like they were painted on the joints of the claws and legs as well as above the eyes.

Little is known about the habitat requirements of the Kisatchie painted crayfish. The species was historically collected in freshwater streams with sand, gravel, mud or silt streambeds in northeast Texas and central Louisiana. However, the Texas habitat is more stagnant and muddier when compared to Louisiana. Kisatchie painted crayfish may prefer streams with varying water depth, heavy leaf litter, and cobble-lined stream bottoms.

While little is known about the specific diet of the Kisatchie painted crayfish, crayfishes are omnivorous and feed on plant and animal material. Diets often consist of decaying organic material from plants and animals, algae and aquatic invertebrates, including mollusks, insects and other crustaceans.

Very little is known about the Kisatchie painted crayfish’s behavior; however, it is dependent on water and spends most of its time in stream environments. Based on other crayfish, it is likely most active at night and spends most of the daytime under rocks, stream banks or other underwater hiding places. Crayfish walk forward slowly using four pairs of jointed legs, but can swim fast backwards by rapidly curling their abdomen with its flipper-like tail underneath the body. This behavior can help crayfish escape predators.