Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2017-03-16
Page range: 432–454
Abstract views: 70
PDF downloaded: 1

Cambarus (C.) appalachiensis, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from the New River Basin of Virginia and West Virginia, USA

West Liberty University, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, P.O. Box 295, West Liberty, West Virginia, 26074.
U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 322 Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506.
Midwest Biodiversity Institute, 4673 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard, Ohio, 43026 USA.
Crustacea Crayfish New River Appalachian Mountains

Abstract

Cambarus (Cambarus) appalachiensis is a stream-dwelling crayfish endemic to the greater New River basins of Virginia and West Virginia. The new species is morphologically most similar to Cambarus sciotensis. Cambarus appalachiensis can be differentiated from C. sciotensis by its more elongated chelae which possess a single mesial row of tubercles, reduced to no tuberculation on the dorsal-longitudinal ridge of the dactyl, and reduced lateral impression. Cambarus sciotensis has a more subrectangular chelae with two rows of mesial margin tubercles on the chelae, as well as both a pronounced dorsal-longitudinal ridge and pronounced lateral impression. Several chelae meristic ratios also differentiate C. appalachiensis from C. sciotensis. Within the New, Gauley, and lower portions of the Greenbrier basins C. appalachiensis is the dominant tertiary burrowing Cambarus species, and as such, is considered stable across its range.

 

References

  1. De Queiroz, K. & Weins, J. (2007) Species concepts and species delimitation. Systematic Biology, 56, 879–886.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150701701083

    Faxon, W.A. (1884) Descriptions of new species of Cambarus; to which is added a synonymical list of the known species of Cambarus and Astacus. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 20, 107–158.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/25138768

    Fetzner, Jr., J.W. & Thoma, R.F. (2014) Resolving taxonomic issues with Cambarus sciotensis and Cambarus robustus (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in Virginia using population genetic data. Final Project Report submitted to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Forrest, Virginia, v + 21 pp.

    Foltz, D.A., Nolan IV., E.J., McGill, K.T. & Loughman, Z.J. (2016) Life history of the coal fields crayfish Cambarus theepiensis Loughman, Foltz, Garrison and Welsh 2013 (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae) in southwestern West Virginia, USA. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 36, 628–636.
    https://doi.org/10.1163/1937240X-00002470

    Girard, C. (1852) A revision of the North American Astaci, with observations on their habits and geographic distribution. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 6, 87–91.

    Hagen, H.A. (1840) Monograph of the North American Astacidae. Illustrated Catalogue of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Welch, Bigelow & co., University Press, Cambridge, 109 pp.

    Hay, W.P. (1914) Cambarus bartonii carinirostris In: Faxon, W. (1914) Notes on the crayfishes in the United States National Museum and the Museum of Comparative Zoology with descriptions of new species and subspecies to which is appended a catalogue of the known species and subspecies. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, 40, 351–427.

    Hobbs, H.H. Jr. (1969) On the distribution and phylogeny of the crayfish genus Cambarus. In: Holt, P.C. & Hoffman, R.L, (Eds.), The Distributional History of the Biota of the Southern Appalachians. Part I: Invertebrates. Research Division Monograph 1. Virginia Polytechnic Institution, Blacksburg, Virginia. pp. 93–178.

    Hobbs, H.H. Jr. & Bouchard, R.W. (1994) Cambarus (Cambarus) angularis, a new crayfish (Decapoda:Cambaridae) from the Tennessee River basin of northeastern Tennessee and Virginia. Jeffersoniana, 5, 1–13.

    IUCN (2001) Categories & Criteria (version 3.1). Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/static/categories_criteria_3_1 (accessed 15 February 2017)

    James, H.A. (1966) Range and variations of the subspecies of Cambarus longulus (Decapoda, Astacidae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 119, 1–24.
    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.119-3544.1

    Jezerinac, R.F., Stocker, G.W. & Tarter, D.C. (1995) The crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridae) of West Virginia. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey, 10, 1–193.

    Loughman, Z.J., Simon, T.P. & Welsh, S.A. (2011) Cambarus (Puncticambarus) smilax, a new species of crayfish (Crustacea:Decapoda:Cambaridae) from the Greenbrier River basin of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 124, 99–111.
    https://doi.org/10.2988/10-09.1

    Loughman, Z.J., Foltz, D.A., Garrison, N.L. & Welsh, S.A. (2013) Cambarus (P.) theepiensis, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda:Cambaridae) from the coalfields region of eastern Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia, USA. Zootaxa, 3641 (1), 63–73.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3641.1.7

    Loughman, Z.J., Fagundo, R.A., Lau, E., Welsh, S.A. & Thoma, R.F. (2014) Cambarus (C.) hatfieldi, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda:Cambaridae) from the Tug Fork River basin of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA. Zootaxa, 3750 (3), 223–236.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3750.3.3

    Master, L. (1991) Assessing threats and setting priorities for conservation. Conservation Biology, 5, 559–563.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1991.tb00370.x

    Rhoades, R. (1944) Further studies on distribution and taxonomy of Ohio crayfishes, and the description of a new subspecies. Ohio Journal of Science, 44, 96–99.

    Schuster, G.A., Taylor, C.A. & Adams, S.B. (2015) Procambarus (Girardiella) holifieldi, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from Alabama with a revision of the Hagenianus Group in the subgenus Girardiella. Zootaxa, 4021 (1), 1–32.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4021.1.1

    Schuster, G.A. & Taylor, C.A. (2016) Cambarus (Depressicambarus) claritae, a new species of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from Alabama with a review of the halli Group in the subgenus Depressicambarus. Zootaxa, 4193 (2), 332–346.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4193.2.8

    Taylor, C.A. (2000) Systematic studies of the Orconectes juvenilis complex (Decapoda: Cambaridae), with descriptions of two new species. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 20, 132–152.
    https://doi.org/10.1163/20021975-99990023

    Taylor, C.A., Schuster, G.A., Cooper, J.E., Distefano, R.J., Eversole, A.G., Hamr, P., Hobbs H.H.III, Robison, H.W., Skelton, C.E. & Thoma, R.F. (2007) Reassessment of the conservation status of crayfishes of the United States and Canada after 10+ years of increased awareness. Fisheries, 32, 372–389.
    https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(2007)32[372:AROTCS]2.0.CO;2