Cambarus zophonastes
Encyclopedia
Cambarus zophonastes is a species of crayfish
in the family Cambaridae
. It is endemic to the state of Arkansas
, and is listed as critically endangered
on the IUCN Red List
. The crayfish is nicknamed the Hell Creek crayfish. The cave crayfish Cambarus zophonastes is a cave-adapted species that lacks pigment in the body and eyes. This crayfish is known from two caves, Hell Creek Cave and Nesbitt Spring Cave.
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
in the family Cambaridae
Cambaridae
Cambaridae is the largest of the three families of freshwater crayfish, with over 400 species. Most of the species in the family are native to North America east of the Great Divide, such as the invasive species Procambarus clarkii and Orconectes rusticus, with fewer species living in East Asia and...
. It is endemic to the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, and is listed as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. The crayfish is nicknamed the Hell Creek crayfish. The cave crayfish Cambarus zophonastes is a cave-adapted species that lacks pigment in the body and eyes. This crayfish is known from two caves, Hell Creek Cave and Nesbitt Spring Cave.