A peer-reviewed open-access journal ZooKeysZoogeography, 74: 1–78 (2011) taxonomy, and conservation of West Virginia’s Ohio River fl oodplain crayfi shes... 1 doi: 10.3897/zookeys.74.808 MONOGRAPH www.zookeys.org Launched to accelerate biodiversity research Zoogeography, taxonomy, and conservation of West Virginia’s Ohio River floodplain crayfishes (Decapoda, Cambaridae) Zachary J. Loughman1,2, Th omas P. Simon2 1 West Liberty University, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, P.O. Box 295, West Liberty, West Virginia, 26074 USA 2 Indiana State University, Biology Department, 600 Chestnut Street, Science Building Room 281, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809 USA Corresponding author : Zachary J. Loughman (
[email protected] ) Academic editor: Niel Bruce | Received 30 June 2010 | Accepted 10 December 2010 | Published 6 January 2011 Citation: Loughman ZJ, Simon TP (2011) Zoogeography, taxonomy, and conservation of West Virginia’s Ohio River fl oodplain crayfi shes (Decapoda, Cambaridae). ZooKeys 74 : 1 – 78 . doi: 10.3897/zookeys.74.808 Abstract Th e crayfi sh fauna of West Virginia consists of 23 species and several undescribed taxa. Most survey eff orts documenting this fauna have been conducted in lotic waterways throughout the Appalachian plateau, Allegheny Mountains, and Ridge and Valley physiographic provinces. Bottomland forests, swamps, and marshes associated with large river fl oodplain such as the Ohio River fl oodplain historically have been under-surveyed in the state. Th ese habitats harbor the richest primary burrowing crayfi sh fauna in West Virginia, and are worthy of survey eff orts. In an eff ort to fi ll this void, the crayfi sh fauna of West Virginia’s Ohio River fl oodplain was surveyed from 2004 through 2009.