nothing manner. They are so named because they lack the involvement of the giant interneurons, most likely because they do not produce depolarizations in the sensory neurons that are above the thresholds required to initiate these behaviors. Instead they involve one or a few of the smaller neurons innervating the tail. The latency periods for these escape mechanisms are longer, ranging from 80 to 500 ms. However, this slower swimming behavior allows for flexibility, since the crayfish can use visual stimuli and steer itself in a selected direction. Non-giant escape often occurs during situations where lateral or medial giant-mediated escape may not be beneficial or during times where those behaviors are suppressed. This allows the crayfish to attack offenders, escape during feeding, or wriggle free when it has been restrained by the carapace. Non-giant escape circuitry was found to be activated more during frontal attacks, but was rarely involved in the initial escape during a rear attack. Non-giant escape is often used after an initial giant interneuron-mediated tail flip. Compared to MG escape, the potentials produced in the MoG neurons by non-giant circuitry have lower amplitudes and longer durations while the recordings in the FF muscles are more erratic and have smaller amplitudes since they receive smaller EPSPs from the MoGs. So while it is hard to observe differences in MG and non-escapes, this property can be used to distinguish the two. Lateral giant-mediated escape The lateral giant (LG)-mediated escape mechanism is the most extensively analyzed form of the tail flip. The LG is not actually one neuron, but rather a group of closely associated neurons arranged end to end and connected by electrical synapses (also called septate synapses). As a result, the LGI functions as one giant, continuous neuron, such as the MG. The LGI's large diameter and the efficiency and speed of electrical synapses, make the LGI-mediated escape especially rapid and effective. The LGI only innervates the first three rostral segments of the tail and is activated within 10 ms from when a mechanical stimulus is presented to the abdomen. When flexion occurs, only the first three segments flex and the tail fan is not directed under the body and forward but rather straight down. The unflexed segments increase the length of the paddle. The result is the rear end of the animal is directed upward and forward causing the animal to tumble or somersault forward. The tail