Grandfather Mountain Crayfish

National Range: Known only from NC in the Linville River, where it occurs upstream and downstream of Linville Falls, and upper Watauga River systems (Thoma 2012)

NC Physiographic Region(s): Blue Ridge Mountains

River Basin(s): Catawba, Watauga

Adult Habitat: Streams with moderate gradient, with cobble, gravel, and boulder substrate, often with aquatic mosses, lacking excessive fine particle deposits or expanses of bedrock (Thoma 2012)

Reproductive Season: early spring and late fall

Species associates: C. asperimanus, C. robustus, C. sp. C. (acuminatus complex), O. virilis

Conservation status: Not protected

Identification references: Thoma 2005

Taxonomic Description:

• body shape: dorsally compressed
• coloration: body and telson brown; abdomen, legs, and chelae dark lime green to brown; tubercles on chelae lighter in color, from orange to tan; rostral margins orange.
• spines:  lacking spines; branchiostegal tubercles and cervical tubercles may be present
• rostrum: rostral margins strongly thickened, margins normally concave, lacking marginal spines or tubercles; lacking median carina; floor shallowly excavated; acumen upturned at tip.
• areola: wide, bearing approx. 3-6 punctations across narrowest part
• chelae: smooth; normally possessing 2 rows of tubercles on mesial margin of palm, second row of tubercles are typically reduced; no tufts of setae at base of propodus; moderately developed dorsolongitudinal ridges;gape between fingers
   
• other characteristics: suborbital angle acute; postorbital ridges weak
• form I male gonopod: terminal elements consisting of a tapering, central projection with a subapical notch; length equal to conically shaped mesial process; central projection curved caudally at 90°; mesial process directed caudally at angle of  90°

Notes:   most similar to C. sciotensis of the New River basin and C. bartonii.