Diagnostic description ²

Male with hooks only on 3rd pereiopods; margins of rostrum concave or converging and terminating in strong tubercles; chela with at least 2 rows of tubercles, mesialmost at least 8; cervical spines present; areola wide; male 1st pleopod as described above.

Distribution ³

Global Range: (20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)) This species is found in the Green, Barren and Cumberland rivers drainages in Kentucky and the Ohio River proper in southern Illinois (Hobbs, 1989) with records from the Tennessee River system (Paint Rock River and Harpeth River) in Alabama (Mirarchi et al., 2004; in appendix 1-2 published separately). It was also recently reported from Mississippi for the first time from Bear Creek (Tennessee drainage) (S. Adams, pers. comm., 2009).

Habitat ⁴

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: The Ohio River collection was from a "rocky backwater." It inhabits cool, fast flowing streams in riffle areas (Rhoades 1944).

Habitat and ecology ⁵

Habitat and Ecology

• Freshwater

Iucn red list assessment ⁶

Nature serve conservation status ⁷

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Cambarus rusticiformis has been found recently to be much more widespread than previously thought (range extent 20,000-200,000 sq. km) with occurrences as far south as northern Alabama and northeastern Mississippi. It is secure and common throughout the northern part of its range but status and trend in the southern portions of its range where it was found recently are not known.

Range description ⁸

This species is found in the Green, Barren and Cumberland rivers drainages in Kentucky and the Ohio River in southern Illinois (Hobbs 1989) with records from the Tennessee River system (Paint Rock River and Harpeth River) in Alabama, USA (Mirarchi et al. 2004). It was also recently reported from Mississippi for the first time from Bear Creek in the Tennessee drainage (S. Adams, pers. comm. 2009).
Page (1985) reported a collection from the Ohio River, about 42 river miles below the outlet of the Cumberland on the Illinois side (right bank). In Alabama, it is known only from a single record from the Paint Rock River drainage within the Tennessee River system, which might be a possible introduction (Mirarchi et al. 2004, Schuster et al. 2008). It was also recently reported from Mississippi for the first time from Bear Creek (Tennessee drainage) (S. Adams, pers. comm. 2009). In Kentucky, it is known from the Barren, upper Green, Nolin, and Rough River drainages, and is also widespread in the Cumberland River system from eastern Kentucky to creeks draining into Lake Barkley in western Kentucky (Taylor and Schuster 2004).

The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of this species has been estimated to exceed 38,400 km².

Sources and Credits

1. (c) rkkessler, all rights reserved
2. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28866512
3. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28866508
4. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28866515
5. (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34353181
6. (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34353178
7. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28866504
8. (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34353179

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SeaLifeBase
• World Register of Marine Species

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