Faxonius shoupi

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Faxonius shoupi
Crayfish P4140084.jpg
Status TNC G1.svg
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Faxonius
Species:
F. shoupi
Binomial name
Faxonius shoupi
(Hobbs, 1948)
Synonyms [1] [3]

Orconectes shoupiHobbs, 1948

Faxonius shoupi, the Nashville crayfish, is a freshwater crustacean native to the Mill Creek Basin in Nashville, Tennessee. [2] Prior to August 2017, the species was called Orconectes shoupi. [4] Faxonius shoupi is protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as an endangered species. However, the crayfish has recently been put up for delisting by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. [5]

Description

The Nashville crayfish has an orange and black coloration, four pairs of legs, and two elongate pinchers with red tips. The crayfish has a lighter-colored saddle on its back and on the sides of its head. A sigmoidal cleft of the annulus ventralis, or sperm receptacle, is found on larger females. The Nashville crayfish is on the larger side of crayfish, growing to be up to 7 in (180 mm) long. [6]

Life history

Very little is known about Nashville crayfish life history. Most of the research that has been done about the reproduction strategies of this crayfish have been on males. Male crayfish switch between two forms during mating season. The reproductive form is known as “form 1” and the non reproductive form is known as “form 2”. The form 1 male gonopod has been described to be shaped “short-curved”. This gonopod shape differs from other species’ gonopods in the same genus, Faxonius. This is a form of reproductive isolation known as “lock and key”, where individuals are prevented from hybridization through the genital shape. [7]

Due to the lack of research on this particular species, the rest of the life history section are assumptions based on other crayfish. Reproduction typically begins in late summer and early fall. This is when males will switch from form 2 to form 1. Females will lay their eggs during the late winter and early spring. Each female lays several hundred eggs. Most of these eggs will die before hatching or in the early stages of life. [8]

Ecology

Diet and habitat

In general, crayfish eat algae, insects, worms, snails, fish eggs, leaves, and mussels. [6] They forage mostly during the night from sunset to midnight and usually return to their burrows during daylight hours. Female Nashville crayfish can be found under large slab rocks while carrying eggs and young. [5]

Range

Nashville crayfish are extremely tolerant to a wide range of habitat conditions. They are found in creeks with high amounts of sediment, gravel, slab, or cobble substrate. They can inhabit areas with turbid water due to oil and areas with high amounts of construction debris. The Nashville crayfish’s range is very restricted. They are endemic to Mill Creek Basin and its tributaries in Davidson and Williamson Counties in Tennessee. [9] They have recently been found in the Lower Tennessee River at the Pickwick Tailwater. There are 192 stream miles of the Mill Creek Watershed of which the species occupies 104 stream miles (54 percent). [5]

Behavior

Males with larger chelae tend to be sexually dominant. This is because they are able to hold the female tighter and increase their copulation time. The Nashville crayfish can be aggressive and will attack its opponent by chasing, cornering, or driving it backward. [9] There is little information about the Nashville crayfish’s territorial behavior toward its shelter. [10] However, most crayfish are very territorial and will be aggressive to protect their burrows. [11]

Conservation

Major threats

The Nashville crayfish population faces a number of threats, including poor water quality due to local development, habitat degradation, and a restricted range. Competition with invading crayfish species, Faxonius placidus and Faxonius durelli , poses another threat. [9] Another threat is overutilization for recreational, educational, scientific, or commercial purposes. The species was put up for listing as endangered on January 12, 1977, but the proposal was withdrawn on December 10, 1978. This withdrawal was due to amendments being added to the ESA at the time. On May 22, 1984, the Nashville crayfish was announced to be a potential candidate for protection under the ESA. The species was listed as “endangered” on September 26, 1986. [12]

Population size

In 1986, when the species was listed, there were only a third of the number of crayfish that were found in 1969. Since listing, recent surveys have shown that the population is increasing due to  habitat restoration efforts. In places where habitat has been restored, they have been quick to recolonize. While it was thought that the Nashville crayfish was only found in Mill Creek and seven of its tributaries, a disconnected second population was discovered in the Lower Tennessee River at the Pickwick Tailwater. This second population suggests that their geographic range was historically wider. [13]

5-Year Review

The most recent 5-year review of the Nashville crayfish was completed in 2017. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recommended that the species be downlisted from “endangered” to “threatened”. The USFWS reported that the species remained high in population numbers over the past 20 years in the Mill Creek area. Despite recent metropolitan growth in the Nashville area, including commercial and residential developments, the species has remained stable or has increased in population numbers. This stabilization indicates that the species has developed a high “resistance to disturbance,” decreasing the threat that further metropolitan development could present. While the species is expected to continue to experience some level of threat, the Nashville crayfish population is not expected to be as affected. [14]

Species Status Assessment

The most recent Species Status Assessment (SSA) was completed in 2018. While the Nashville crayfish suffers from inadequate water quality and spills from increasing urbanization and human populations, the species has still been found in stable or increasing numbers in the Mill Creek area since it has been listed under the ESA. Like the 5-year review stated, the Nashville Metropolitan area is experiencing population, residential, and commercial growth. Additionally, the area has been flooded with stormwater, sediment inputs, and spills of hazardous substances and raw sewage, yet the species’ population numbers have remained relatively stable or have increased. The assessment suggests targeting an increase in water quality, however in most scenarios the populations of Nashville crayfish are predicted to survive in the next 40 years. [15]

Recovery Plan

The Recovery Plan for the Nashville crayfish has not been updated since February 8, 1989. On September 26, 1986, when the species was listed as endangered, a critical habitat was not designated. This is because the threat of take was believed to increase because of their habitat in the Nashville Metropolitan area. The 1989 Recovery Plan reports that the species is threatened by a variety of events resulting from urban development, including the possibility of chemical spill. [8]

In 2023 the Nashville crayfish was featured on a United States Postal Service Forever stamp as part of the Endangered Species set, based on a photograph from Joel Sartore's Photo Ark. The stamp was dedicated at a ceremony at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endangered Species Act of 1973</span> United States law

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation", the ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The Supreme Court of the United States described it as "the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation". The purposes of the ESA are two-fold: to prevent extinction and to recover species to the point where the law's protections are not needed. It therefore "protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend" through different mechanisms. For example, section 4 requires the agencies overseeing the Act to designate imperiled species as threatened or endangered. Section 9 prohibits unlawful ‘take,’ of such species, which means to "harass, harm, hunt..." Section 7 directs federal agencies to use their authorities to help conserve listed species. The Act also serves as the enacting legislation to carry out the provisions outlined in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Supreme Court found that "the plain intent of Congress in enacting" the ESA "was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost." The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). FWS and NMFS have been delegated by the Act with the authority to promulgate any rules and guidelines within the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to implement its provisions.

<i>Pacifastacus fortis</i> Species of crayfish

Pacifastacus fortis is an endangered crayfish species endemic to Shasta County, California, where it is found only in isolated spots on the Pit River and Fall River Mills. The exact subpopulations for the Shasta crayfish were discovered in 2004 through a genetic study that determined three different genetic clusters: Crystal Lake, the Big Lake group, and Thousand Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hine's emerald</span> Species of dragonfly

The Hine's emerald is an endangered dragonfly species found in the United States and Canada. Populations exist in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ontario, and Wisconsin. Larvae are found in shallow, flowing water in fens and marshes, and often use crayfish burrows. Major threats to the species include habitat loss and alteration, and the species is legally protected in both the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama cavefish</span> Species of fish

The Alabama cavefish is a critically endangered species of amblyopsid cavefish found only in underground pools in Key Cave, located in northwestern Alabama, United States in the Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge. It was discovered underneath a colony of gray bats in 1967 by researchers Robert A. Kuehne and John E. Cooper and scientifically described in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty crayfish</span> Large species of freshwater crayfish which is native to the United States

The rusty crayfish is a large, aggressive species of freshwater crayfish which is native to the United States, in the Ohio River Basin in parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Its range is rapidly expanding across much of eastern North America, displacing native crayfishes in the process. The rusty crayfish was first captured in Illinois in 1973, and has been collected at over 20 locations in the northern portion of the state. In 2005, F. rusticus was found for the first time west of the Continental Divide, in the John Day River, Oregon, which runs into the Columbia River.

<i>Epioblasma brevidens</i> Species of freshwater mussel

Epioblasma brevidens, the Cumberlandian combshell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae. This species is endemic to the United States, found mainly in the states of Tennessee and Virginia. This mussel resides in medium-sized streams to large rivers. The combshell is an endangered species and protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The combshell is threatened by habitat modifications and pollution.

<i>Fusconaia escambia</i>

Fusconaia escambia, the narrow pigtoe, is a freshwater bivalve mussel found in Alabama and northwestern Florida. The narrow pigtoe was first discovered in the Escambia River in Alabama and Florida.

<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.

The Guyandotte River crayfish is a species of crayfish found in a small stream system in Wyoming County, West Virginia, US. They are closely related to the Big Sandy crayfish, and until recently, the two were thought to belong to the same species. The Guyandotte River crayfish is currently listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN and was listed under the Endangered Species Act with the Big Sandy crayfish on April 4, 2016.

<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.

<i>Faxonius limosus</i> Species of crayfish

Faxonius limosus, synonym Orconectes limosus, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to the east coast of North America, from Quebec to the lower James River, Virginia, but has also been introduced to Europe. It is known commonly as the spinycheek crayfish or Kamberkrebs in German.

<i>Arctostaphylos confertiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Arctostaphylos confertiflora is a rare species of manzanita known by the common name Santa Rosa Island manzanita. This shrub is endemic to California, where it grows on the sandstone bluffs of Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands. This manzanita is listed as an endangered species by the United States Government.

<i>Faxonius obscurus</i> Species of crayfish

Faxonius obscurus is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to the northeastern United States, where it occurs in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is an introduced species in adjacent regions, including Massachusetts, Vermont, and Ontario in Canada. It is known commonly as the Allegheny crayfish and the obscure crayfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sandy crayfish</span> Species of crayfish

The Big Sandy crayfish, Cambarus callainus, are freshwater crustaceans of the family Cambaridae. They are found in the streams and rivers of Appalachia in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky, in what is known as the Big Sandy watershed. Populations are often mistaken with Cambarus veteranus, but morphological and genetic data suggest that these are separate taxa; however, both are protected under the Endangered Species Act. There is very little information available on the Big Sandy crayfish because it is a relatively new species.

<i>Faxonius immunis</i> Species of crayfish

Faxonius immunis is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to North America and it is an introduced species in Europe, where it lives along the Upper Rhine. Its common names include calico crayfish and papershell crayfish.

The lollipop darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States. Lollipop darters are approximately 1.4 to 2.4 inches long.

Faxonius maletae, sometimes called the Kisatchie painted crayfish or Kisatchie painted crawfish, is a species of crawdad in the Cambaridae family. The specific epithet maletae is in honor of the discoverer's wife, author Maleta M. Walls, who helped collect many of the original specimens. It was originally described as a subspecies of Orconectes difficilis, but later elevated to full species status. The common name refers to the Kisatchie National Forest, near where the original specimens were found in Bayou Santabarb.

<i>Faxonius</i> Genus of crayfishes

Faxonius is a genus of freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae. There are more than 90 described species in Faxonius. It includes the rusty crayfish, an invasive species in North America, and three species, F. virilis, F. immunis, and F. limosus, that are invasive to Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozark hellbender</span> Subspecies of amphibian

The Ozark hellbender is a subspecies of the hellbender. The subspecies is strictly native to the mountain streams of the Ozark Plateau in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Its nicknames include lasagna lizard and snot otter. This large salamander grows to a total length of 29–57 cm (11–22 in) over a lifespan of 30 years. The Ozark hellbender is a nocturnal predator that hides under large flat rocks and primarily consumes crayfish and small fish. As of 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has listed the subspecies as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The population decline of the subspecies is caused by habitat destruction and modification, overutilization, disease and predation, and low reproductive rates. Conservation programs have been put in place to help protect the subspecies.

References

  1. 1 2 Schuster, G.A.; Taylor, C.A. & Cordeiro, J. (2010). "Orconectes shoupi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T15423A4582645. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T15423A4582645.en . Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Faxonius shoupi". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Faxonius shoupi (Hobbs, 1948)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Crandall, Keith A; De Grave, Sammy (2017-08-08). "An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 37 (5): 615–653. doi: 10.1093/jcbiol/rux070 . ISSN   0278-0372.
  5. 1 2 3 "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of the Nashville Crayfish From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife". Federal Register. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  6. 1 2 "Nashville Crayfish Conservation". www.nashvillezoo.org. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  7. ↑ TAYLOR, CHRISTOPHER A.; KNOUFT, JASON H. (2006-08-29). "Historical influences on genital morphology among sympatric species: gonopod evolution and reproductive isolation in the crayfish genusOrconectes(Cambaridae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 89 (1): 1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00637.x . ISSN   0024-4066.
  8. 1 2 Biggins, Richard G. (1987-08-12). Recovery plan for Nashville crayfish (Orconectes shoupi) (Report). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region. OCLC   680257475.
  9. 1 2 3 Bizwell, Emily A.; Mattingly, Hayden T. (2010). "Aggressive Interactions of the Endangered Nashville Crayfish, Orconectes shoupi". Southeastern Naturalist. 9 (2): 359–372. doi:10.1656/058.009.0211. ISSN   1528-7092. S2CID   85024428.
  10. ↑ Fujimoto, Sawako; Hirata, Bunpei; Nagayama, Toshiki (2011-08-15). "Dominance hierarchy-dependent behavioural plasticity of crayfish avoidance reactions". Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (16): 2718–2723. doi: 10.1242/jeb.057752 . ISSN   0022-0949. PMID   21795568. S2CID   15903726.
  11. ↑ Butler, Robert S (2002). Imperiled Crayfishes of Lower Tennessee-Cumberland (Report). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.2110.8889.
  12. ↑ "Proposal to List Nashville Crayfish (Orconectes shoupi) as Endangered Species; 51 FR 3229-3232" (PDF). 1986-01-24. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  13. ↑ Hurt, Carla; Hildreth, Parker; Williams, Carl (2022-03-24). "A genomic perspective on the conservation status of the endangered Nashville crayfish (Faxonius shoupi)". Conservation Genetics. 23 (3): 589–604. doi:10.1007/s10592-022-01438-6. ISSN   1572-9737. S2CID   236611502.
  14. ↑ "5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation" (PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "Species Status Assessment Report for the Nashville Crayfish (Orconectes shoupi)". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "Postal Service Spotlights Endangered Species". United States Postal Service. April 19, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
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