''Orconectes'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
cave dwelling freshwater
crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...
, endemic to suitable habitats in the eastern
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Surface dwelling species, formerly categorised here, were moved to ''
Faxonius'' in 2017.
Due to their subterranean habitat, they are
usually depigmented, often blind, and are long-lived. Ages of 176 years have been claimed for ''O. australis'', though this was reduced to ≤22 years in a 2012 study.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Orconectes'' was erected in 1872 by
Edward Drinker Cope
Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an American zoologist, paleontology, paleontologist, comparative anatomy, comparative anatomist, herpetology, herpetologist, and ichthyology, ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker fam ...
to house ''Astacus pellucidus'' (now ''
Orconectes pellucidus'') and his new species, ''
Orconectes inermis''.
Prior to the 2017 review by Oxford university, the genus contained 85 species in 11 subgenera. The ''
Faxonius'' subgenus was raised to a full genus, and the majority of species formerly recorded as ''Orconectes'' were moved there. Following the review, approximately 8 species are known:
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1311791
Cambaridae
Cave crayfish
Fauna of the Eastern United States
Freshwater crustaceans of North America
Crustacean genera
Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope