Cambarus cryptodytes

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Cambarus cryptodytes
CaveCrawfish.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Cambarus
Species:
C. cryptodytes
Binomial name
Cambarus cryptodytes
Hobbs, 1941

Cambarus cryptodytes, the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish or Apalachicola cave crayfish, is a small, freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida and Georgia in the United States. It is an underground species known only from waters associated with the Floridan aquifer.

Description

The Dougherty Plain cave crayfish grows to a length of about 53 millimetres (2.1 in) with antennae twice this length. It is a colourless species with unpigmented eyes, segmented cephalothorax and abdomen, a pair of slender chelae (claws) with a row or two of tubercles and long slender appendages. The rostrum is long and unadorned with tubercles or spines. [2] [3]

Distribution

The Dougherty Plain cave crayfish is known from springs, wells and cave systems in the karst limestone region of Dougherty Plain in the Southeastern United States. It has been found in Dougherty County and Decatur County in Georgia and Jackson County and Washington County in Florida. It is likely also to be present in other Georgia counties which lie between the two presently-known ranges. [2] A USGS survey of the area, carried out between September 2014 and August 2015, revealed additional sites in Early, Miller, Mitchell, and Seminole counties. [4]

Biology

Little is known of the biology of this crayfish. It is probably an opportunistic omnivorous scavenger and may feed on the Georgia blind salamander (Eurycea wallacei) which shares the same range. [2] It has a low metabolic rate, perhaps associated with the limited availability of food, and consequently it is possible that it may live for twenty years or more. Males with ripe gonads have been found between July and October but females bearing eggs, juveniles or sub-adults have not been found in the wild. [3] However, a full breeding cycle has been observed in captivity in the lab. This was the first breeding record for a troglomorphic crayfish. [5]

Status

In 1996 this species was listed as "Vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species but following the discovery that its range is wider than originally thought, it was in 2010 recategorised as being of "Least concern" on the grounds that it has a broad range and is common within that range. It seems to be able to live in water with low oxygen levels and may be widespread in the aquifer away from locations that open to the surface. [1] Potential threats include removal of water from the aquifer for human use and contamination of the water by pesticides and excess nutrients from agricultural operations. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cambarus</i> Genus of crayfishes

Cambarus is a large and diverse genus of crayfish from the United States and Canada. The adults range in size from about 5 cm (2.0 in) up to approximately 15 cm (5.9 in).

<i>Procambarus alleni</i> Species of crustacean

The Everglades crayfish, sometimes called the Florida crayfish, the blue crayfish, the electric blue crayfish, or the sapphire crayfish, is a species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida in the United States. Its natural range is the area east of St. Johns River and all of Florida from Levy County and Marion County southwards, as well as on some of the Florida Keys. It is included on the IUCN Red List as a species of Least Concern. The blue crayfish is frequently kept in a freshwater aquaria. In the wild, this species varies from brown-tan to blue, but an aquarium strain has been selectively bred to achieve a brilliant cobalt blue color.

The Georgia blind salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the south-eastern United States where its natural habitats are inland karsts, caves and subterranean habitats. It is listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN and is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Cambarus aculabrum</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus aculabrum is a rare species of cave-dwelling crayfish known by the common name Benton county cave crayfish. It is native to Arkansas in the United States, where it is known from only four locations. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Cambarus coosawattae, the Coosawattae crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Georgia. The common name refers to the Coosawattee River, with the original specimens being collected in the Cartecay River which combines with another river to form the Coosawattee.

<i>Cambarus fasciatus</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus fasciatus, the Etowah crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. This species is endemic to Georgia, where it is state listed as S2.

<i>Cambarus georgiae</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus georgiae, the Little Tennessee crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is found in Georgia and North Carolina.

Cambarus harti, the Piedmont blue burrower, is a species of burrowing crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Georgia in the United States. The common name refers to the Piedmont plateau region.

Cambarus hiwasseensis, the Hiwassee crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is found in North America.

<i>Cambarus scotti</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus scotti, the Chattooga River crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Alabama and Georgia. The common name refers to the Chattooga River. The original specimens were collected from Clarks Creek in Chattooga County.

Cambarus speciosus, the beautiful crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Georgia.

Cambarus subterraneus, the Delaware County cave crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It has been found only in three caves in Delaware County, Oklahoma.

Cambarus tartarus, the Oklahoma cave crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to two caves in Delaware County, Oklahoma in the United States.

<i>Cambarus zophonastes</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus zophonastes, also known as the Hell Creek Cave crayfish, is named for its original location of discovery, Hell Creek Cave. It is also found in other similar habitats in Stone County and Marion County, Arkansas. These habitats include springs and caves such as Nesbitt Spring Cave in Stone County. C. zophanastes is critically endangered according to the IUCN. C. zophanastes is also protected by the ESA as an endangered species. Currently conservation efforts focus on monitoring populations, reducing disturbances, and monitoring water quality. More research has to be conducted to better understand and conserve the species.

Procambarus milleri, the Miami cave crayfish is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Florida, where it is known from 14 to 15 sites in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

<i>Cambarus carinirostris</i> Species of crayfish

Cambarus carinirostris, the rock crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is found in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Cambarus hubrichti is a species of decapoda in the family Cambaridae. The species goes by the common name Salem cave crayfish.

Cambarus speleocoopi, the Sweet Home Alabama cave crayfish, is a small, freshwater crayfish endemic to Marshall County, Alabama, in the United States. It is an underground species known only from four caves.

<i>Orconectes sheltae</i> Species of crayfish

Orconectes sheltae, the Shelta Cave crayfish, is a small, freshwater crayfish endemic to Alabama in the United States. It is a cave-dwelling species known from only one cave, Shelta Cave in Madison County, Alabama. This cave is also home to O. australis and Cambarus jonesi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cordeiro, J.; Crandall, K.A.; Jones, T.; Skelton, C. & Thoma, R.F. (2010). "Cambarus cryptodytes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T3691A10023413. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T3691A10023413.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish". Crayfishes of Georgia. Georgia College. 2012-09-01. Archived from the original on 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  3. 1 2 "Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish". Georgia Wildlife. Georgia Museum of Natural History. 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  4. ↑ Dante B. Fenolio; Matthew L. Niemiller; Andrew G. Gluesenkamp; Anna M. McKee & Steven J. Taylor. "New distributional records of the stygobitic crayfish Cambarus cryptodytes (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in the Floridan Aquifer System of southwestern Georgia". usgs.gov. USGS. doi:10.1656/058.016.0205.
  5. ↑ Danté B. Fenolio; Matthew L. Niemiller & Benjamin Martinez (January 2014). "Observations of reproduction in captivity by the Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish, Cambarus cryptodytes, (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae)". Speleobiology Notes. 6: 14–26.
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