Waccamaw Crayfish

National Range: North Carolina (and Horry Co., South Carolina) endemic

NC Physiographic Region(s): lower coastal plain

River Basin(s): Lumber (Fullerton and Watson 2001), Waccamaw

Adult Habitat: “clear, sand-bottomed streams flowing through swampy areas” (NHP ICAS 1999– for P. lepidodactylus); slow-moving lotic or lentic waters; swifter areas in swampy streams, associated with aquatic vegetation

Reproductive Season: spring and fall

Species associates: P. acutus, P. ancylus, and P. blandingii

Conservation status:  state-listed as Special Concern in North Carolina (J.E. Cooper in Clamp 1999)

Identification references: Cooper 1998b; also see description by J.E. Cooper in Clamp (1999)

Taxonomic Description:

• body shape: cylindrical
• coloration:  shades of tan, brown, or gray; strong mottling on carapace; saddle pattern; dark tubercles on chelae
• spines: all spines (except hepatic) strong; hepatic region bearing weak tubercles
• rostrum: spiculiform; long acumen (approx. 45% of acumen); parallel margins; strong marginal spines
• areola: wide, with approx. 7-8 punctations across narrowest part
• chelae: mesial margin with row of subconical (serrate) tubercles
• other characteristics: granulate carapace dorsal and lateral to cephalic groove
• form I male gonopod: asymmetrical pleopods; distal ¼ only slightly caudally directed; small cephalic convexity; almost distally directed cephalic process, the base of which forms hood around cephalic base of central projection; central projection slightly longer than cephalic process; caudodistally directed central projection; long mesial process, caudodistally directed at about 45 degrees to shaft of gonopod; prominent, distally directed caudal knob; large adventitious process – in mesial aspect obscures part of proximomesial bases of central projection and caudal process; small, tooth like caudal process

Notes:  previously thought to be P. lepidodactylus, which occurs in South Carolina