Cambarus gentryi, the linear cobalt crayfish,[2] is a small species of burrowing crayfish. One of 115 species in the genus Cambarus,[3] it is notable for its deep blue carapace.[4] It is endemic to Tennessee in the United States.[1][2]
| Cambarus gentryi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Family: | Cambaridae |
| Genus: | Cambarus |
| Species: | C. gentryi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cambarus gentryi Hobbs, 1970
| |
Taxonomy and description edit
Although three specimens of C. gentryi were collected and stored in the 1890s, the species was not described until 1970 by Horton Hobbs Jr.[5] This followed its 1968 collection by Dr. Glenn Gentry, from which the species name was derived.[5]
Geographic range edit
The linear cobalt crayfish has been found in the Cumberland and Duck river basins in Tennessee.[4]There are 37 reported sightings of C. gentryi on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) between 1962-2022.[6] They are all localized to the southern part of Tennessee in the USA, North America.[6]
Physical description edit
Cambarus gentryi has a shell length of around 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) and pincers about 2 cm (0.79 in) long.[4] Its shell is cobalt blue in colour with orange or yellow to yellowish-green markings.[4] The eyes are small and well-developed, and the areola (a structure which runs along the centre of the cephalothorax) is sublinear, or mostly uncurved.[5] Like other decapods, C. gentryi has ten pairs of legs, of which the forward-most pair are modified into robust pincers known as chela.[7] A detailed description of the morphological identifiers unique to C. gentryi, alongside drawings of the type specimen, may be found in the original species description in the Biodiversity Heritage Library: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34572783.[5]
The type specimen is stored in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., USA under the identifier USNM 130283.[8] The allotype (female) and morphotype (male) are in the same institution under the identifiers USNM 130284 and 130285.[8]
Habitat edit
The linear cobalt crayfish creates burrows in damp areas along river banks.[5] Its burrows have been described in several locations across its range; although sometimes limited by soil depth, they can have multiple openings to the surface and have been found to be up to about 2.5 m (8 ft) in length and 0.91 m (3 ft) in depth.[5][8]
Development and reproduction edit
Adults in family Cambaridae alternate molts between reproductive (form I) and non reproductive (Form II) forms.[7] Male form I has larger claws and altered sperm transfer gonopods; in some species, the female form I has a wider abdomen.[7] On collection of C. gentryi specimens in and prior to 1970, first-form males were collected at various times of year (April, May, and November) and egg- or young-bearing females had not been collected or identified.[5]
Lifespan edit
The exact lifespan of C. gentryi is not known; however, other individuals in this family (Cambaridae) have been known to live 6-7 years.[7]
Ecological Interactions edit
C. gentryi is a known host of Uncinocythere zancla, an entocytherid osctracod.[9] This is a small crustacean which lives as an obligate ectosymbiont to other crustaceans by attaching to the carapaces.[10]
Conservation status edit
Cambarus gentryi is listed as least concern by the IUCN.[1]
Genomic information edit
Five publicly available gene fragment sequences exist for C. gentryi, available through NCBI genbank with taxonomy ID NCBI:txid318489.[11] The following gene fragments are available:[11]
- Isolate JF2508 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene; Accession no. KX417101.1
- Histone H3 (H3) gene, partial cds; Accession no. DQ411804.1
- Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO1) gene, partial cds; mitochondrial; Accession no. DQ411785.1
- 12S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence; mitochondrial; Accession no. DQ411731.1
- 16S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence; mitochondrial; Accession no. AY853664.1
References edit
- ^ a b c Cordeiro, J.; Jones, T. & Thoma, R.F. (2010). "Cambarus gentryi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T153803A4547037. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T153803A4547037.en.
- ^ a b c "Cambarus gentryi". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "ITIS - Report: Cambarus". itis.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ a b c d Biological Society of Washington; Washington, Biological Society of; Washington, Biological Society of; Washington, Biological Society of; Institution, Smithsonian; Institution, Smithsonian (1970). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Vol. 83. Washington: Biological Society of Washington.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hobbs, Horton H (May 27, 1970). "A new crayfish from the Nashville basin, Tennessee". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 83 (14): 161–170 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ a b "Search". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ a b c d Thorp, James H.; Rogers, D. Christopher (2011), "Crayfish, Crabs, and Shrimp", Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, Elsevier, pp. 157–168, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-381426-5.00018-1, ISBN 978-0-12-381426-5, retrieved 2023-10-02
- ^ a b c Hobbs, Horton Holcombe Jr. (1989). "An Illustrated Checklist of the American Crayfishes (Decapoda, Astacidae, Cambaridae, Parastacidae)". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology (480): 22. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.480.
- ^ Hobbs, Horton H.; Peters, Daniel J. (1993). "New record of enterocytherid ostracods infesting burrowing and cave-dwelling crayfishes, with descriptions of two new species". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 106 (3): 455–466 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Weaver, Patricia G.; Williams, Bronwyn W. (2017-06-07). "A new genus and species of entocytherid ostracod (Ostracoda: Entocytheridae) from the John Day River Basin of Oregon, U.S.A., with a key to genera of the subfamily Entocytherinae". Zootaxa. 4273 (4). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4273.4.7. ISSN 1175-5334.
- ^ a b "Cambarus Gentryi". NCBI taxonomy browser. Retrieved October 1, 2023.