Procambarus ouachitae (Penn)

Map [dots indicate Ouachita National Forest collection sites]

Recognition Characters: Procambarus ouachitae is a tannish or brown crayfish with mottlings of black pigment. The rostrum has prominent lateral spines and usually has a well developed carina. The areola is broad and two lateral spines occur on each side of the cephalothorax. The first pleopod terminates in three parts. The mesial process extends caudodistad while the cephalic process is an angulate lobe. The mesial process and the cephalic process are more or less in apposition to each other.

Coloration: Adults typically have a tannish to brown body color with a black wedge-shaped pattern on the abdomen.

Size: Adults are approximately 3 to 5 inches (76-127 mm) in total length.

Habitat: Reimer (1963) reported that this stream dwelling crayfish occurred primarily in creeks in which the water was clear and fairly shallow.

General Range: Hobbs (1989) presented the range of this species as the Ouachita and Arkansas river systems in southwestern Arkansas, and the Yazoo Basin in Mississippi.

Comments: Penn (1956) classified this species as a nocturnal species. He reported individuals of all sizes foraging at night in the relatively quiet water near the stream banks. First form males have been taken in May, June and August (Penn, 1956; Reimer, 1963).

The only two locations where Procambarus ouachitae was collected on the ONF were in the Saline River drainage in Perry County, Arkansas. Four juvenile specimens were collected in August by Mr. David Saugey and the Principal Investigator from shallow pool areas.

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