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Home/Species/ Pilose Crayfish

Pacifastacus gambelii

(Girard, 1852)

Pilose Crayfish

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.109325
Element CodeICMAL31030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassMalacostraca
OrderDecapoda
FamilyAstacidae
GenusPacifastacus
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 Date2009-07-01
Change Date1996-02-19
Edition Date2010-06-04
Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J.
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
This species is common and wideranging across the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Population information is not known but it is abundant in some drainages. Some extirpations have occurred due to exotic crayfish introductions (Montana).
Range Extent Comments
Pacific versant in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming and possibly northeast California. Missouri drainage in Montana and Wyoming and Utah. Only extant member of its genus east of the North American continental divide (Hobbs, 1989; Rogers, 2005).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Pigmented, eyes normal; rostrum with margins converging, at least 3 pr lateral marginal spines, acumen indistinct, median carina present; postorbital ridges lacking posterior spines or tubercles; cervical and hepatic spines absent; areola broad with 7-9 punctations in narrowest part, branchiocardiac groove interrupted so that distinct cephalic and caudal portions of areola evident; chela stout, dorsal surface of palm studded with minute tubercles, two conspicuous longitudinal clusters of setae on dorsal surface of palm; male lacking hooks and bosses on all pereiopods; male 1st pleopod lacking terminal elements, in form of tightly rolled tube, only distalmost 3-5% slightly attenuate; incisor region of mandible blade-like (Hobbs, 1972; Bouchard 1977). [LENGTH: to 35 TCL, to 65 TL] [WIDTH: to 13]

Diagnostic Characteristics

Pigmented, eyes normal; rostrum with margins converging to indistinct acumen and with at least 3 pr lateral marginal spines, carinate; postorbital ridges without posterior spines or tubercles; dorsal surface of palm studded with minute tubercles and 2 conspicuous longitudinal clusters of setae.

Habitat

It is found in lentic and lotic habitats and is likely to breed during the spring. This species is believed to be an opportunistic feeder that breeds in the springtime and has a home range estimated to be no more than 50 meters (Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2002). The pilose crayfish is belived to be intollerable of warmer waters or of the warmer water fish populations (Johnson, 1986).

Reproduction

Data suggest spring breeding.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingS3Yes
OregonS2Yes
MontanaSXYes
IdahoS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
WashingtonS3Yes
NevadaS1Yes
UtahS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (5)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
Stump CreekCaribou National Forest355
Wyoming (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lake Alice - Commissary RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest166,707
Salt River RangeBridger-Teton National Forest235,661
References (7)
  1. 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.
  2. Hobbs, H. H., Jr. 1989. An Illustrated Checklist of the American Crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parastacidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 480:1-236.
  3. Hobbs, H. H., Jr., H. H. Hobbs III, and M. A. Daniel. 1977. A Review of the Troglobitic Decapod Crustaceans of the Americas. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology no. 244. 183 pp.
  4. Johnson, J.E. 1986. Inventory of Utah crayfish with notes on current distribution. Great Basin Naturalist 46:625-631.
  5. 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.
  6. Rogers, D.C. 2005. Identification manual to the freshwater Crustacea of the western United States and adjacent areas encountered during bioassessment. EcoAnalysts, Inc., Technical Publication #1, Moscow, Idaho. 81 pp.
  7. 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.