Cambarellus puer Hobbs, 1945

Morehouse, Reid L. & Tobler, Michael, 2013, Crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridae) of Oklahoma: identification, distributions, and natural history, Zootaxa 3717 (2), pp. 101-157 : 121-122

Cambarellus puer Hobbs, 1945 : Swamp Dwarf Crayfish

General charateristics. The body size of adults rarely exceeds 37 mm in total length. Females are typically slightly larger than males. The carapace is laterally compressed and moderately arched dorsoventrally with strong cervical spines and areola is open. The rostrum is flat and terminates in small spines at base of the acumen. The acumen is equal to or slightly longer than the width of the rostrum at the marginal spines. Chelae are small and slender with short fingers. The fingers and palm have rounded mesial and lateral margins with single setae covering dorsal surfaces, but lack longitudinal ridges and rows of tubercles. The dactyl is equal in length or shorter than the mesial margin of palm. In form I males, gonopods terminate in three caudodistally recurved elements of moderate and equal length. In females, the annulus ventralis is movable, subcircular, with a flattened or shallowly notched caudal edge, and has a strongly elevated central region (Taylor & Schuster, 2004).

Life coloration. The background color of the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the abdomen, carapace, and chelae range from orange-red to light brown and gray ( Figure 29 ). The ventral surface is white to cream in color. The tips of the chelae lack orange coloration. Cambarellus puer populations exhibit a pigmentation polymorphism, where the carapace and abdomen either have two brown to black stripes or two rows of spots running their entirety. These alternative color patterns are controlled by a single mendelian gene, with the striped phenotype being dominant over the spotted one (Volpe & Penn, 1957). The polymorphism appears to be selectively neutral, and mating between the two color phenotypes is random (Pflieger, 1996).

Similar species. Cambarellus puer is the only Cambarellus species known to inhabit Oklahoma and is unlikely to be confused with any other species.

Distribution and habitat. Cambarellus puer occurs from southern Illinois and Missouri southward along the Mississippi River to Louisiana and westward to southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas. Current records indicate a very limited distribution in Oklahoma. It is known from a single location: a swampy area with dense vegetation along the Little River in McCurtain County. Our ecological niche model indicates that the far southeastern corner of Oklahoma provides suitable environmental conditions for C. puer , along with areas extending approximately 120 km to the north ( Figure 30 ). Cambarellus puer generally inhabits permanent water bodies such as swampy areas with dense stands of emergent and submerged vegetation, reservoir tail-waters, and lowland areas that are flooded. In other states, Cambarellus puer has been reported from habitats that have dried completely during summer months (Pflieger, 1996), likely by digging into the soil prior to drying as it is a tertiary burrower. This species has not been collected in Oklahoma since 1975. Our recent sampling efforts were also futile, therefore the population size and current distribution within the state requires further investigation.

Life history. Given that Cambarellus puer has only been documented from one location in Oklahoma, very little is known about the species’ life history within the state. The majority of the information known about C. puer has been collected in Louisiana (Black, 1966), Illinois (Page, 1985), and Missouri (Pflieger, 1996). Ovigerous females have been collected from February to May, with egg diameters range from 1.0 to 1.1 mm (Black, 1966; Page, 1985). Black (1966) reported two periods of reproductive activity in Louisiana, one in late winter to early spring and another in mid-summer. Males require 13 to 14 molts to achieve sexual maturity, and most males will not breed during their first year of life (Pflieger, 1996). Cambarellus puer lives approximately 15 to 18 months after hatching (Black, 1966).

Syntopic species. Fallicambarus fodiens , Faxonella blairi , and Procambarus clarkii .

Conservation status. AFS: Currently Stable; Heritage Rank: Widespread (G5); IUCN: Least Concern; ODWC: Not Listed.

Additional resources. Black (1963).

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 36. 29. Cambarellus puer 30. Potential distribution of Cambarellus puer 31. Cambarus diogenes 32. Potential distribution of Cambarus diogenes 33. Cambarus ludovicianus 34. Potential distribution of Cambarus ludovicianus 35. Cambarus subterraneus 36. Potential distribution of Cambarus subterraneus (distribution map was not made for this species due to it subterranean lifestyle; climatic variables outside the cave systems do not accurately represent the climate within the cave).