Home/Species/ Mountain Crayfish

Cambarus conasaugaensis

Hobbs and Hobbs, 1962

Mountain Crayfish

G3Vulnerable Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

Data deficientIUCN

MediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.111672

Element CodeICMAL07400

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal

IUCNData deficient

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumArthropoda

ClassMalacostraca

OrderDecapoda

FamilyCambaridae

GenusCambarus

Concept Reference

Hobbs, H. H., Jr. 1989. An Illustrated Checklist of the American Crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parastacidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 480:1-236.

Conservation Status

Review Date2010-05-12

Change Date1996-02-19

Edition Date2010-05-12

Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J. (2010); Taylor, C. (1996)

Threat ImpactMedium

Range Extent5000-20,000 square km (about 2000-8000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Although it has a fairly restricted range (range extent < 10,000 sq. km), the species is at times common where it occurs although populations at the southern and western periphery are threatened by urbanization from the Atlanta and Chattanooga metropolitan areas respectively, but the extent of the threat is not known.

Range Extent Comments

It is found in headwater tributaries of the Conasauga (Hobbs and Hobbs 1962), Coosawattee, and Etowah rivers in Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Lumpkin, and Pickens counties, Georgia, and in the Hiwassee Basin in Bledsoe and Polk counties, Tennessee (Fetzner, 2008).

Occurrences Comments

Range includes the Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, and upper Piedmont provinces in headwater tributaries of the Conasauga, Coosawattee, and Etowah Rivers (Coosa basin) in Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Lumpkin, and Pickens Cos., Georgia; and in the Hiwassee Basin in Polk Co., Tennessee (Hobbs, 1981). In Tennessee it occurs in the Blue Ridge province in the Hiwassee River basin in Polk Co. (Williams and Bivens, 2001). Schuster (2001) found it at 11 of 25 sites surveyed in the Coosawattee River system in northern Georgia.

Threat Impact Comments

Southern populations threatened by development in the Atlanta metropolitan area but impact not assessed properly; range fragmented by reservoir construction (Carters Lake). Also the Chattanooga metropolitan area also borders its range.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

It occurs at elevations above 400 m, in clear, cool water, with many rocks under which the animals might take cover. It has been found beneath rocks and in rather complex burrows in seepage areas, in small cascading mountain brooks, and in swiftly to moderately flowing streams ranging in width from less than one meter to approximately eight meters, at depths from a few to some 60 cm. In the larger streams it occurs with other crayfishes but in seepage areas it is the only species (Hobbs 1981).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Georgia	S3	Yes
Tennessee	S1	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areas	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)

Roadless Areas (2)

Georgia (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pink Knob	Chattahoochee National Forest	12,127
Rocky Mountain	Chattahoochee National Forest	4,269

References (7)

Crandall, K. A., and S. De Grave. 2017. An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list. Journal of Crustacean Biology 37(5):615-653.
Hobbs, H.H., Jr. 1981. The crayfishes of Georgia. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 318: 1-549.
Hobbs, H. H., Jr. 1989. An Illustrated Checklist of the American Crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parastacidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 480:1-236.
McLaughlin, P. A., D. K. Camp, M. V. Angel, E. L. Bousfield, P. Brunel, R. C. Brusca, D. Cadien, A. C. Cohen, K. Conlan, L. G. Eldredge, D. L. Felder, J. W. Goy, T. Haney, B. Hann, R. W. Heard, E. A. Hendrycks, H. H. Hobbs III, J. R. Holsinger, B. Kensley, D. R. Laubitz, S. E. LeCroy, R. Lemaitre, R. F. Maddocks, J. W. Martin, P. Mikkelsen, E. Nelson, W. A. Newman, R. M. Overstreet, W. J. Poly, W. W. Price, J. W. Reid, A. Robertson, D. C. Rogers, A. Ross, M. Schotte, F. Schram, C. Shih, L. Watling, G. D. F. Wilson, and D. D. Turgeon. 2005. Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Crustaceans. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 31. 545 pp.
Schuster, G.A. 2001. A study of the current status of two species of crayfishes, <i>Cambarus coosawattae</i>, and <i>Cambarus speciosus</i>, both endemic to the Coosawattee River system, in northern Georgia. Final Report, Georgia Forest Watch, Ellijay, Georgia. 9 pp.
Taylor, C. A., G. A. Schuster, J. E. Cooper, R. J. DiStefano, A. G. Eversole, P. Hamr, H. H. Hobbs III, H. W. Robison, C. E. Skelton, and R. 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):371-389.
Williams, C.E. and R.D. Bivens. 2001. Annotated list of the crayfishes of Tennessee. Open file report (April 2001) of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Talbott, Tennessee. Available: http://www.homestead.com/twra4streams/files/Crayfish.PDF

Cambarus conasaugaensis

Habitat

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