Access Journal Content
Open access browsing of table of contents and abstract pages. Full text pdfs available for download for subscribers.
Current Issue: Vol. 30 (3)
Check out NENA's latest Monograph:
Monograph 22
First Record of Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus (White River
Crayfish) in West Virginia, with Notes on its Natural History
Zachary Loughman*
Abstract - Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus (White River crayfish) was added to West
Virginia’s decapod crustacean fauna on 26 February, 2004, and this finding was the first
record of the genus Procambarus in West Virginia. Six P. (O.) acutus (4 form-I males, 2
females) were collected in traps from a large vernal pool system 1.2 km east of Point
Pleasant, Mason County. Several additional specimens were collected from this site during
the spring of 2004, with an additional 3 populations discovered in the spring of 2005. White
River Crayfish were collected in ephemeral pools, marshes, and roadside ditches.
White River Crayfish were found in ephemeral systems only, and appear to have shifted
aspects of their typical ecology to suit these systems in West Virginia. White River Crayfish
distribution in West Virginia appears to be limited to the pre-glacial Marietta River Valley,
and results suggest that it is a native species in West Virginia.
Crayfish represent the second most imperiled animal group in North America
(Taylor et al. 1996, Taylor and Schuster 2005). Reasons for this range from high
levels of endemism to impacts associated with invasive species and habitat destruction
(Daniels et al. 2001, Hobbs et al. 1989, Lodge et al. 2000). Invasive species in
particular represent an important threat. Invasives, such as Orconectes
(Procericambarus) rusticus Girard (rusty crayfish) and Procambarus
(Scapulicambarus) clarkii Girard (red swamp crayfish) can eliminate native crayfish,
resulting in lower species diversity, and creating a “biotic homogenization” of
crayfish faunas (Lodge 1993). Because of these threats, documenting native crayfish
communities prior to the arrival of invasive species or other environmental stressors
is important to crayfish conservation.
Crayfish populations in West Virginia have received attention in the past century
(Faxon 1914, Jezerinac et al. 1995, Newcombe 1929). The first study of West
Virginia crayfishes was by Faxon (1914), who listed 2 species inhabiting the state.
Future studies by Newcombe (1929) would increase the number of species to 15;
however, Jezerinac et al. (1995) was the most thorough study of the state’s fauna,
documenting 21 crayfish species.
Several potential conservation threats have occurred in the state since publication
of Jezerinac et al. (1995). In response to these threats, a survey was initiated in the
spring of 2004 along the Ohio River Floodplain of West Virginia. Because of the Ohio
River’s importance as a trade route, this ecological region is the site of increased levels
of industrialization and urbanization. The crayfish fauna inhabiting the Ohio River
floodplain from Huntington, Cabell County to Chester, Hancock County includes 9
native species, making it the most diverse crayfish fauna in West Virginia (Jezerinac et
al. 1995). The purpose of the 2004 survey was to document any shifts in the Ohio River
floodplain’s fauna since Jezerinac et al. (1995), and identify any biotic or abiotic
threats to the floodplain’s crayfish populations.
In February of 2004, while collecting along the Ohio River floodplain, 6
Procambarus (O.) acutus Girard (White River crayfish) were captured in a bottom-
land swamp 3 km east of the Ohio River-Kanawha River confluence in Point
Pleasant, Mason County. This collection represented the first documentation of
the genus Procambarus in West Virginia, as well as the first addition to the
state’s crayfish fauna since Jezerinac et al. (1995). The following is a review of
survey efforts for additional White River crayfish sites, with notes on the natural
history of White River crayfish in West Virginia.
495 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 14, No. 3
496 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 14, No. 3
Crayfish were captured with un-baited minnow traps and by hand. Minnow
traps were placed in all roadside ditches, maple swamps, marshes, and ponds in
Mason County, WV where access was granted (n = 18 sites) in the spring of 2004
and 2005. Morphometrics taken with vernier calipers on all captured crayfish
included carapace length (cl), palm length (pl), areola width (aw), and areola length
(al). Crayfish were sexed, and the sexual stage of each individual was determined
following Hobbs (1981). Females with pleopodal instars were transported back to
the laboratory, where the total number of instars for each female was counted.
Maladies were noted for each crayfish (regenerated chelae, missing chelae, etc.).
Collections were performed January through June. In late March 2005, traps were
deployed for several days totaling 20 trap nights to determine the crayfish community
structure for each White River crayfish collection site. Crayfish species undergo
a surge of surface activity at this time, making crayfish community analysis
easier and more efficient than in other seasons for this behavioral group of crayfishes
(Simon 2001, Taylor and Anton 1998). White River crayfish identification
was determined using Hobbs (1972).
White River crayfish were found in 3 of 18 sites surveyed in Mason County
between 2004–2005, and an additional site the summer of 2004 (Fig. 1). Site 1 was
a mature ephemeral maple swamp, dominated by Acer saccharinum L. (silver
maple) and A. rubrum L. (red maple), Site 2 was a marsh dominated by Juncus
effusus L. (common rush) and Carex sp. (sedge), and site 3 was a roadside ditch
immediately adjacent to a major highway. Site 4 was a wet field dominated by
Carex sp. and Juncus sp. Site 1 and Site 2 produced the most robust White River
Figure 1: Procambarus (O.) acutus (White River crayfish) survey sites in Mason County, WV.
Open circles represent sites where White River crayfish was not collected and filled circles
represent sites where White River crayfish was collected.
2007 Notes 497
crayfish populations. These sites were both wetlands with partial-complete canopies
and had a diversity of available aquatic microhabitats.
Captures in minnow traps peaked in late March, and decreased steadily until
May. At this time, White River crayfish trapping rates were minimal, and the
majority of specimens were captured using dip nets or by hand during nocturnal
searches. During the summers of 2004–2005, sites 1, 3, and 4 experienced significant
drawdown of surface waters, with White River crayfish burrowing in response to this
drawdown. Burrow morphology for White River crayfish consisted of simple vertical
shafts 30–40 cm deep ending in an enlarged cul-de-sac. Chimneys were present at the
entrances of burrows, and ranged from 5 to 15 cm high.
Form-I males were collected in all months between February and May, with
form-II males collected February through April (Table 1). Females were collected
in all spring months, with a marked increase of female captures in March
(Table 1). Three females with eyed pleopodal instars were collected at Site 2 on
March 22, 2005. Number of pleopodal instars for each female was 72, 72, and 65,
with a mean of 69 instars. There was a positive correlation (r2 = 0.963, n = 3)
between carapace length and total number of pleopodal instars. Overall, this
White River crayfish population appears to have 6 size classes, though this data
needs to be interpreted with caution because of low capture rates (Jezerinac et al.
1995). The largest White River crayfish collected was a form-I male with a
carapace length of 43.4 mm (Table 2).
Amplexus was observed in the field on May 5, 2005 at 22:00 h. Two amplexing
pairs were found at Site 1 resting on pond substrate adjacent to fallen logs. No
amplexing pairs were observed away from cover objects. Several specimens also
amplexed in collecting buckets within minutes of being introduced. An interspecies
breeding attempt was also observed on May 5, 2005 between White River crayfish
and Orconectes (Gremicambarus) virlis Hagen (virile crayfish), with a large White
River crayfish form-I male amplexing with a female virile crayfish for 30 minutes
Table 2 Carapace lengths of Procambarus (O.) acutus (White River crayfish) collected from
Mason County, WV between 2004–2005.
Carapace length
Sex n Minimum Maximum Mean
Form II males 18 13.6 mm 38.7 mm 29.3 mm
Form I males 14 16.4 mm 43.4 mm 31.2 mm
Females (without instars) 32 6.8 mm 40.5 mm 26.9 mm
Females (with instars) 3 27.8 mm 40.5 mm 36.2 mm
Table 1 Procambarus (O.) acutus (White River crayfish) seasonal data for 2004-2005 collecting
periods.
Males Females
Non- Pleopodal
Month (n) Juveniles Form I Form II ovigerous instars
February 28 15 5 1 5 0
March 55 21 6 4 24 3
April 22 0 8 7 7 0
May 6 0 3 0 3 0
June 3 0 0 0 3
Total 114 36 22 12 42 3
498 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 14, No. 3
before disengaging. In the laboratory, White River crayfish collected from Site 1
displayed reproductive behaviors (amplexes) from early May 2005 through mid-
July 2005.
Crayfish associates collected with White River crayfish included
Cambarus (Tubericambarus) thomai Jezerinac (little brown mudbug), Cambarus
(Cambarus) bartonii cavatus Hay (Appalachian brook crayfish), Fallicambarus
(C.) fodiens Cottle (digger crayfish) , and virile crayfish (Table 3) . All of these
species, with the exception of O. (G.) virilis, are native to West Virginia and the
lower Ohio/lower Kanawha watershed (Jezerinac et al. 1995). Trapping in Sites 1,
2, and 3 for the duration of 20 trap-nights indicate that White River crayfish was
the dominant ephemeral surface-water crayfish species when quality habitat was
available (Table 3).
White River crayfish was often found in ephemeral wetland habitats in West
Virginia. This is in contrast to observations in Illinois, where White River crayfish were
collected primarily from sluggish streams (Cralley 1932, Page 1985). Form-I male
seasonality was the same as in Illinois (Page 1985), Missouri (Pflieger 1996), and
Kentucky (Taylor and Schuster 2005), with form-I males occurring throughout the
spring. Form-II males in Illinois were present throughout the spring, but were outnumbered
by form-I males, a result mirrored by the West Virginia population (Page 1985).
Amplexes was observed in the West Virginia population from May through July.
Very little reproductive data are available for female White River crayfish.
Ovigerous females were captured in Illinois in July (Cralley 1932) and Ohio in
March, July, and September (Turner 1926). No ovigerous females were collected
in this study. Hobbs (1981) theorized that White River crayfish females may
sequester themselves in burrows until the eggs hatch, which could explain the
scarcity of available information on ovigerous females. Females with pleopodal
instars were found in March in Missouri (Pfleiger 1996) and April in Illinois
(Rietz 1912). In this study, females carrying stage-2 instars were collected in
March, suggesting that ovigerous females likely occur in February in the West
Virginia population.
Given its history of introduction by humans, White River crayfish was initially
thought to be an invasive species in West Virginia. The species’ use in aquaculture
and as bait for fishing has lead to non-indigenous populations occurring throughout
North America, with confirmed non-indigenous populations documented in California
(Gander 1927), Maine (Crocker 1979), and Kentucky (Taylor and Schuster
2005). When the West Virginia resident status was investigated further, evidence
appeared for the species being native to West Virginia.
Table 3: Results for 20 trap-nights of trapping at Procambarus (O.) acutus (White River crayfish)
sites in West Virginia.
Total per
Species Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 species
Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus 25 22 2 49
Cambarus (Tubericambarus) thomai 3 1 4 8
Cambarus (Cambarus) b. cavatus 1 0 0 1
Fallicambarus (Creaserinus) fodiens 9 0 0 9
Orconectes (Gremicambarus) virilis* 4 6 0 10
Total number of crayfish collected 42 29 6 77
* = invasive species.
2007 Notes 499
Several species found in the Lower Ohio and Lower Kanawha drainages in West
Virginia are theorized to be pre-glacial Marietta River relicts (Green and Pauley
1987, Jezerinac 1987, Strausbaugh and Core 1978). The Marietta River was a major
tributary of the pre-glacial Teays River, and the area of the Ohio River and Kanawha
River confluence is considered to be the Marietta River Valley (Stout et al. 1943).
Several species inhabit this biotic region of West Virginia and no other part of the
state. Jezerinac (1987) used the Marietta River Valley to explain the disjunct nature
of the West Virginia digger crayfish population from the core of its range across the
Midwest. This species occurs sympatrically with White River crayfish at 2 of the 4
White River crayfish sites (Site 1 and Site 4).
Another species theorized to be a Marietta River relict, Ambystoma texanum
Matthes (Small-mouthed Salamander), also occurred at sites (Site 1 and Site 3)
harboring White River crayfish populations (Green and Pauley 1987). Smallmouthed
Salamanders and digger crayfish both have limited, disjunct ranges in West
Virginia, with these species limited to the Marietta River Valley (Green and Pauley
1987, Jezerinac 1987). In Ohio, White River crayfish has been collected from sites in
the pre-glacial Teays River drainage as well as in the area theorized to be the Teays
River-Marietta River confluence (Thoma and Jezerinac 2000).
The presence of these two species at 3 of the 4 White River crayfish collection
sites, along with White River crayfish only being collected in the Marietta River
Valley and no where else along the Ohio River Floodplain of West Virginia, is
evidence for White River crayfish being a native species in West Virginia; however,
further investigation is needed.
Acknowledgments. The author would like to thank Kathleen Loughman and
Christopher Vopal for assistance in field-collecting specimens. The assistance of
three reviewers, Laura Kimpel, Thomas K. Pauley, and Roger Thoma, was also
greatly appreciated. This research was supported through a grant from the West
Virginia Division of Natural Resources Heritage Program.
Literature Cited
Crocker, D.W. 1979. The crayfishes of New England. Proceedings of the Biological Society of
Washington 92(2):225-252.
Cralley, J.W. 1932. A survey of the crayfishes of Champaign County, Illinois. M. Sc. Thesis.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Daniels, R.A., D.C. Murphy, and M.W. Klemens. 2001. Orconectes neglectus is established in
the Northeast. Northeastern Naturalist 8(1):93–100.
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(8):351-427.
Gander, F.F. 1927. Eastern crayfish in San Diego County. California Fish and Game
13:221–222.
Green, N.B, and T.K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and Reptiles of West Virginia. University of
Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh PA. 241 pp.
Hobbs, H.H., Jr. 1972. Biota of Freshwater Ecosystems: Identification Manual No. 9. Crayfishes
(Astacidea) of North and Middle America. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati,
OH. Project # 18050 ELD.
Hobbs, H.H., Jr. 1981. The Crayfishes of Georgia. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 318.
Hobbs, H.H., Jr., and H.H. Hobbs II. 1990. A new crayfish from southeastern Texas. Proceedings
of the Biological Society of Washington 103:608-613.
500 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 14, No. 3
Jezerinac, R. F. 1987. Fallicambarus (Creaserinus) fodiens in West Virginia: A new state
record. Ohio Journal of Science 87(1):46–47.
Jezerinac, R.F., G.W. Stocker, and D.C. Tarter. 1995. The Crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridae)
of West Virginia. Ohio Biological. Survey Bulletin 10(1). 193 pp.
Lodge, D.M. 1993. Species invasions and deletions: Community effects and responses to
climate and habitat change. Pp. 367-387, In P. Karieva, J. Kingsolver, and R. Huey (Ed.).
Sinauer Associates Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Lodge, D.M., C.A. Taylor, D.M. Holdich, and J. Skurdal. 2000. Non-indigenous crayfishes
threaten North American freshwater biodiversity. Fisheries 25:7–20.
Newcombe, C.L. 1929. The crayfishes of West Virginia. Ohio Journal of Science
29(6):267–288.
Page, L.M. 1985. The crayfishes of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin
33:335–448.
Pflieger, W.L. 1996. The crayfishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation,
Jefferson City, MO.
Rietz, N.M. 1912. Ecological relations of the crawfishes of Illinois. B.Sc. Thesis. University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Simon, T.P. 2001. Checklist of the crayfish and freshwater shrimp (Decapoda) of Indiana.
Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 110:104–110.
Stout, W.K., V. Steeg, and G.F. Lamb. 1943. Old drainage systems. Pp. 51–106, In W.K.
Stout, V. Steeg, and G. F. Lamb (Eds.). Water in Ohio. Ohio Geological Survey. Columbus,
OH. 44. 694 pp.
Strausbaugh, P.D., and E.L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia. West Virginia University
Press, Morgantown, WV.
Taylor, C.A., and T.G. Anton. 1998. Distributional and ecological notes on some of Illinois’
burrowing crayfishes. Transactions of Illinois State Academy of Science. 92:137–145.
Taylor, C.A., M.L. Warren, J.F. Fitzpatrick, H.H. Hobbs III, R.F. Jezerinac, W.L. Pflieger, and
H.W. Robison. 1996. Conservation status of crayfish of the United States and Canada.
Fisheries 21:25–38.
Taylor, C.A., and G.A. Schuster. 2005. Crayfishes of Kentucky. Illinois Natural History Survey
Bulletin 28.
Thoma, R.F., and R.F. Jezerinac. 2000. Ohio Crayfish and Shrimp Atlas. Ohio Biological
Survey Miscellaneous Contributions. 28 pp.
Turner, C.L. 1926. The crayfishes of Ohio. Ohio State University Bulletin 30:145–195.
*Natural History Research Program, Oglebay Institute, Wheeling WV. Current address - Department
of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, West Liberty State College, West Liberty, WV;
zloughman@westliberty.edu.