Orconectes palmeri (Faxon)

AR Map [dots indicate Arkansas Ouachita National Forest collection sites]

OK Map [dots indicate Oklahoma Ouachita National Forest collection sites]

Recognition Characters: Rostrum with lateral spines; areola obliterated; hooks on third pereiopods of males; first pleopod of males terminating in two elongated processes, both bent caudad.

Coloration: Body color light grayish tan, thickly dusted with greenish-black specks. A pair of dark blotches is present on dorsum ahead of cervical groove and another pair of blotches extends across junction of carapace and abdomen. Fingers edged with orangish color with bluish color following.

Size: Adults are about 1.4 to 3.0 inches (35-76 mm) in total length.

General Range: St. Francis River and all eastern tributaries of the Mississippi River between the Obion River and Thompson's Creek inclusive. Williams (1954) studied Orconectes palmeri and Orconectes palmeri longimanus in Arkansas. Penn (1957) reviewed subspeciation in this species and established definite ranges for all forms. The form inhabiting the entire ONF in Arkansas and Oklahoma, O. p. longimanus, occurs from the Arkansas River drainage southward.

Comments: The particular subspecies of this crayfish occurring on the ONF is Orconectes palmeri longimanus. This is the most abundant crayfish inhabiting the ONF having been found at 115 of the 256 stations sampled in the Arkansas portion of the ONF and 187 of 204 collections in the Oklahoma portion of the ONF. A total of 807 specimens of O. palmeri longimanus was collected during the study in Arkansas and 1,041 were collected in Oklahoma.

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