This article was downloaded by: [Institutional Subscription Access] On: 28 July 2011, At: 08:27 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Fisheries Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ufsh20 A Reassessment of the Conservation Status of Crayfishes of the United States and Canada after 10+ Years of Increased Awareness Christopher A. Taylor, Guenter A. Schuster, John E. Cooper, Robert J. DiStefano, Arnold G. Eversole, Premek Hamr, Horton H. Hobbs III, Henry W. Robison, Christopher E. Skelton & Roger F. Thoma Available online: 09 Jan 2011 To cite this article: Christopher A. Taylor, Guenter A. Schuster, John E. Cooper, Robert J. DiStefano, Arnold G. Eversole, Premek Hamr, Horton H. Hobbs III, Henry W. Robison, Christopher E. Skelton & Roger F. Thoma (2007): A Reassessment of the Conservation Status of Crayfishes of the United States and Canada after 10+ Years of Increased Awareness, Fisheries, 32:8, 372-389 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(2007)32[372:AROTCS]2.0.CO;2 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. FEATURE: ChristopherA. Taylor, Guenter A. Schuster, ENDANGERED SPECIES John E. Cooper, Robert J. DiStefano, Arnold G. Eversole, Premek Hamr, A Reassessment of the Conservation Status of Horton H. Hobbs III, Henry W. Robison, Crayfishesof the United Statesand Canada ChristopherE. Skelton, after 10+ Years of Increased Awareness and RogerF. Thoma ABSTRACT:The AmericanFisheries Society Endangered Species Committee herein Tayloris a researchscientist at the providesa listof all crayfishes(families Astacidae and Cambaridae) in the United IllinoisNatural HistorySurvey, Statesand Canada that includescommon names; state and provincial distributions; a Divisionof Biodiversityand Ecological comprehensivereview of the conservation status of all taxa;and references on biology, Entomology,Champaign, and can conservation,and distribution.The list includes363 native crayfishes,of which 2 be contactedat [email protected]. (< 1%) taxaare listed as Endangered, Possibly Extinct, 66 (18.2%)are Endangered, uiuc.edu.Schuster is a professorof 52 (14.3%) are Threatened,54 (14.9%) are Vulnerable,and 189 (52.1%) are biologicalsciences at EasternKentucky CurrentlyStable. Limited natural range continues tobe the primary factor responsible University,Richmond, and can be for the notedimperihnent of crayfishes;other threats include the introductionof contacted at Ouenter. Schuster@eku. nonindigenouscrayfishes and habitatalteration. While progresshas been made in edu.Cooper is curator of crustaceans recognizingthe plight of crayfishes,much work is still needed. at the North Carolina Museum of NaturalSciences, Raleigh. DiStefano Una revaluaci6n del estado de is a resource scientist with the Missouri Departmentof Conservation,Columbia. Eversoleis a professorof forestryand conservaci6nde langostinosen los naturalresources at ClemsonUniversity, Clemson,South Carolina. Hamr is EstadosUnidos y Canadfidespu(•s de an environmental science teacher mils de 10 aftos de conciencia creciente at UpperCanada College, Toronto, Ontario.Hobbs III isa professorof RESUMEN:. En el presentetrabajo, El Comit6 para el Estudiode Especies biologyat WittenbergUniversity, Amenazadasde la SociedadAmericana de Pesquerfaspresenta una lista de todos Departmentof Biology,Springfield, loslangostinos (familias Astacidae y Cambaridae) presentes en los Estados Unidos Ohio. Robisonis a professorof biology y Canadfi,que incluye hombres comunes, distribuci6n estatal y municipal,una at SouthernArkansas University, revisi6ndel estado de conservaci6n de todos los taxa y referenciassobre su biologfa, Departmentof Biology,Magnolia. conservaci6ny distribuci6n. La listaincluye 363 langostinosaut6ctonos, de los Skeltonis an assistantprofessor of cualesdos taxa (< 1%) secatalogan como amenazados, posiblemente extintos; 66 biologicaland environmental sciences (18.2%)se consideran en peligro;52 (14.3%)estrin amenazados; 54 (14.9%)son at GeorgiaCollege and State University, vulnerables;y 189 (52.1%)se encuentran actualmente en condici6nestable. E1 Milledgeville.Thoma is a seniorresearch principalfactor responsable dela vulnerabilidadde los langostinos essu limitado scientistwith MidwestBiodiversity rangonatural de distribuci6n; otras amenazas incluyen la introducci6nde especies Institute,Columbus, Ohio and an forfineasde langostinosy la alteraci6ndel hfibitat.Si biense ha progresadoen adjunctassistant professor at The Ohio cuantoal reconocimientode las amenazas hacia los langostinos, afin existe mucho StateUniversity Museum of Biological Downloaded by [Institutional Subscription Access] at 08:27 28 July 2011 trabajopor hacer. Diversity,Columbus. ho r•Lu haup The ShortMountain crayfish(Cambarus Cambaruscymatilis, a burrowingspecies The greensaddlecrayfish (Cambarus manningO clivosus)a narrowlyendemic species found rankedas Endangeredby the AFSEndangered isa CurrentlyStable species found in rocky onlyin centralTennessee and rankedas SpeciesCrayfish Subcommittee creeksof the CoosaRiver drainage Threatened. Photoby C. Lukhaup. Photoby C. Lukhaup. Photoby R. Thoma 37:2 Fisheries ß VOL32 No 8 ß AUGUST2007 ß WWW.FISHERIES.ORG INTRODUCTION the first, and last, conservationreview of and aquaticorganisms (Hobbs III 1993; North Americancrayfishes, the purposesof DiStefano 2005). In someaquatic habi- The termbiodiversity has become inti- this articleare to (1) reassessthe conserva- tats they can comprisegreater than 50% matelyintertwined with the conservation tion statusand threatsto nativecrayfishes of macroinvertebrate biomass (Momot movementof the lastquarter-century, and in the United States and Canada using 1995). They are equallyimportant from in North America no seriousdiscussion of the bestinformation available, (2) provide an economic standpoint, supporting biodiversityand conservationcan neglect updatedstate/provincial distributions, (3) bait fisheries and a multi-million dollar the status of that continent's freshwater updatethe listof referenceson the biology, humanfood fishery (Huner 2002). Finally, fauna. The presenceof a highly diverse conservation,and distribution of crayfishes crayfishesin the family Cambaridaealso aquaticfauna in a denselypopulated, eco- in the United Statesand Canada provided possessunique life-history traits suchas nomicallydeveloped country such as the in •l•yloret al. (1996),and (4) assignstan- reproductiveform alterationand burrow- United States demands the continued dardizedcommon names to thosespecies ing abilitiesthat allow numerousspecies attention of scholars,resource managers lackingthem. to colonizeseasonally wet and terrestrial andbiologists, politicians, and private con- Crayfishesare placedin the order habitats(Hobbs 1981; Welch andEversole servationgroups. Current biological infor- Decapoda,which also includes crabs, lob- 2006). Becausethe purpose of thisarticle is mationfor species and species groups at risk sters,and shrimps.They are mostclosely to reporton the conservationstatus of the is crucialto makingsound decisions on all related to marine lobsters(Crandall et al. North American fauna north of Mexico, conservation fronts. 2000) anddiffer from thoseorganisms by we refer readers interested in the economic The plightof North Americanaquatic possessingdirect juvenile development andecological aspects of crayfishto previ- biodiversity,particularly invertebrate bio- rather than dimorphiclarval stages.Also ouslypublished syntheses (Huner 1994; diversity,was brought to the forefrontwith known regionallyas crawfish,mudbugs, Tayloret al. 1996;Holdich 2002). the compilationof NaturalHeritage / The or crawdads,crayfishes are assignedto Nature ConservancyGlobal (G) conserva- three families and are native inhabitants RATIONALE AND THREATS tion status ranks for that continent's fauna of freshwaterecosystems on everyconti- by Master(1990). Master (1990) founda nent exceptAfrica and Antarctica.Two Tayloret al. (1996)pointed to thebroad disproportionatenumber of aquaticorgan- families,Astacidae and Cambaridae,occur disparityin the recognitionof actual or isms in need of conservation attention nativelyin North Americaand it is here potentialimperilment of crayfishesbetween when comparedto their terrestrialcoun- that crayfishesreach their highest level of governmentalagencies charged with pro- terparts.Since then a steadystream of lit- diversity.Approximately 77% (405 species tecting natural resourcesand non-profit eraturehas highlighted the needfor action andsubspecies) of the world's500+ species conservationorganizations as a rationale