Orconectes obscurus

Orconectes obscurus is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to the northeastern United States, where it occurs in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is an introduced species in adjacent regions, including Massachusetts, Vermont, and Ontario in Canada.[1] It is known commonly as the Allegheny crayfish and the obscure crayfish.[2]

Orconectes obscurus
eggs on Orconectes obscurus

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Orconectes
Species:
O. obscurus
Binomial name
Orconectes obscurus
(Hagen, 1870)

This species lives in slow-moving waterways and pools with rocky substrates, where it hides beneath rocks.[1] It also burrows into the substrate.[2]

This species is common to abundant. It faces minor threats in some parts of its range. It has been displaced by the rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), a related species that is more aggressive and outcompetes other crayfish in its habitat. Other threats include water pollution, especially from mine runoff.[1]

It has become an introduced species itself in some areas, often when released from bait buckets.[3]

References
  1. Adams, S., Schuster, G.A. & Taylor, C.A. 2010. Orconectes obscurus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010. Downloaded on 14 June 2016.
  2. NatureServe. 2015. Orconectes obscurus. NatureServe Explorer Version 7.1, Accessed 14 June 2016.
  3. Benson, A. Orconectes obscurus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Revised 2004.


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