Download The Crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridae) of the Green River Basin, Kentucky Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle
Crayfishes reach the greatest diversity in the southeastern United States, and play important ecological roles in freshwater communities. It is estimated that at least 52 species of crayfishes exist within the borders of Kentucky. The Green River Basin is the largest of the 12 river basins in the Commonwealth, and five major watersheds drain into it: the Pond River, Rough River, Mud River, Barren River, and Nolin River. The Green River System is presently known to possess five genera and 25 species of crayfishes. Prior to this survey, a systematic documentation of the occurrence and distribution of the crayfishes of the Green River System had never been undertaken. Stream-dwelling and burrowing crayfishes were collected from April 2002 to April 2003. Historical collection data were obtained from the museums of Eastern Kentucky University, the Smithsonian Institution, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Kentucky Division of Water, and the Ohio State University. Crayfish collections were also supplied by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission and the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service. Morphological variations have been observed in Orconectes barrenensis and Barbicambarus cornutus, and ranges have been expanded for the following species: Barbicambarus cornutus, Cambarus cumberlandensis, C. deweesae, C. ortmanni, C. rusticiformis, Fallicambarus fodiens, Orconectes barrenensis, O. immunis, O. putnami, O. rafinesquei, O. rusticus, and Procambarus acutus. Cluster analysis revealed that the Little Barren River and Russell Creek had 92% similar faunal assemblages. Several groups of closely associated species were also discovered, including Cambarus deweesae and C. thomai.
