Oklahoma cave crayfish
Cambarus tartarus
This record describes Cambarus tartarus (species). Recorded family: Cambaridae. Recorded order: Decapoda.
Identification and Appearance
Type Locality: Stansberry-January Cave System, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Colcord, Delaware County, Oklahoma State-listed in Oklahoma as Endangered
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda (Crabs, Crayfishes, Lobsters, Prawns, and Shrimp)
- Superfamily
- Astacoidea
- Family
- Cambaridae
- Genus
- Cambarus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Within this range, it has been found in subterranean pools and streams in only three caves - ODWC
Geographic Range
ne OK - found only in the shallow groundwater aquifer underneath portions of the Spavinaw and Saline Creek watersheds in southern Delaware Co., OK.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Cambarus (Jugicambarus) tartarus Hobbs and Cooper 1972
About Crabs, Crayfishes, Lobsters, Prawns, and Shrimp: the wider group
Order-level background for Decapoda, the group containing Cambarus tartarus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Decapoda includes ~15,000 described species of crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish. Although primarily marine and freshwater, some species like hermit crabs and coconut crabs are fully terrestrial.
Ecological role of the group
Crayfish are keystone species in freshwater ecosystems, influencing water clarity, sediment dynamics, and plant communities. Hermit crabs play vital roles in nutrient cycling on tropical islands.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global shrimp industry alone is worth over $45 billion annually. Crayfish are important aquaculture species and invasive crayfish cause ecological damage estimated in the hundreds of millions annually in Europe and North America.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO fisheries statistics, freshwater ecology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.