Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New species of Giant Crayfish discovered

I have not seen any postings related to this story, I thought it was interesting...

Two aquatic biologists have proven that you don't have to travel to exotic locales to search for unusual new species. They discovered a distinctive species of crayfish in Tennessee and Alabama that is at least twice the size of its competitors. Its closest genetic relative, once thought to be the only species in its genus and discovered in 1884 about 130 miles away in Kentucky, can grow almost as big as a lobster.

The researchers found their first specimen under one of the biggest rocks in the deepest part of a creek that has been a (literal) stomping ground for aquatic biologists for at least half a century. The new species is described in a paper in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

The new crayfish belongs to the genus Barbicambarus, which in addition to being big is very distinctive. Most notably, Barbicambarus have unusual "bearded" antennae; the antennae are covered with a luxurious fringe of tiny, hair-like bristles, called setae, which enhance their sensory function.

"This isn't a crayfish that someone would have picked up and just said, 'Oh, it's another crayfish,' and put it back," said University of Illinois aquatic biologist Chris Taylor, the curator of crustaceans at the Illinois Natural History Survey and a co-discoverer of the new species with Eastern Kentucky University biological sciences professor Guenter Schuster. "If you were an aquatic biologist and you had seen this thing, because of the size and the setae on the antennae, you would have recognized it as something really, really different and you would have saved it."

The new species, Barbicambarus simmonsi is more than twice the size of a typical crayfish found in Shoal Creek (which drains into the Tennessee River) -- and yet generations of aquatic biologists who
frequented the area somehow missed it.

Nice coloration on the second picture.

Nice find JHAP. Very cool!

JHAP, because we know that you love crayfish just a tad more than GSF, I think that second crayfish picture is the answer to the question you've been asking yourself for a few years now...."what kind of large, full-body tatoo do I want to get on my back?"

But how's the taste?

If this is not photoshopped or some kind of crustaceous snipe hunt I'm impressed. Somehow the pics lack credability a little??

Got a link ?

If its real then a bunch of streams in the area will soon be off limits to anyone but aquatic biologists .

On JHAP'S back? Man, that's just wrong.

I grew up in shoal creek. I dont know if its the same shoal creek, but i use to find some monster crayfish in it..(not that big though)

Its less than 5 inches long.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...ish-freshwater/

another reason to wear his new skinny jeans

Perhaps they are measuring just the body and not the claws?

If you cut and paste Barbicambarus simmonsi into Google you will find a multitude of links related to this new find. I did not "doctor" any the photos above. They both appear on multiple websites.

As of this point I have no plans to include those images into my full body tattoo.

I did not mean to suggest that anyone on this forum was being deceptive, just that the popular-press articles may have led some to believe that these are giant crayfish similar in size to lobsters.

No worries RAH, for some unknown reason some readers of this forum think that I would post altered photos to this site. I can't imagine where they would get that idea.

The strange thing is I have read a multitude of articles on this new species and haven't found one that indicated how the mud bug was measured.

The crayfish/lobster standard for measuring is to measure the length of the carapace - from a point between the eyes back to the end of the main shell before the tail segments.

The more I think about it though I doubt that is how it was measured though because that would be one huge crayfish!

Strange that none of the articles mention how the bugger was measured though.

They could of at least taken a photo of the crayfish next to a ruler.

And no not the Queen of England type of ruler.

The one I caught over the summer looks that big. Probably not the same species though.

Thats an eater... lol

The other closely related species is found in the green river system in Kentucky, I believe. It is called the Bottlebrush crayfish, due to its feathery antennae. These frequently reach 10 inches in length. They are difficult to collect, as they are also found under large rocks in deeper portions of the river. I personally know several people who have collected them while sampling. They say that they are amazing. I plan to take a trip down there this year, and collect a handful, and try my luck at breeding them. Might be a viable aquaculture species. Might be more viable in temperate climates than the Australian giant crayfish species. I happen to have a Kentucky scientific collectors permit, so there are no legality issues. Just not allowed to touch federally listed species. Have to wonder how they would fare in a pond.

brier - if you find some of thees crayfish trophies get us a couple pictures.

BRIAR After reading your post Evil Knievel has decided to come out of retirement!!!!! He is going to attempt his most Daring Stunt EVER>! He is going to run across Ethiopia with two of those Bottlebrush crawdads tied around his neck!! Will be carried live on Versus 3/10/11 8pm EST Don't miss it.

I'd pay to see that, are they gonna dig him up, or is he gonna have to crawl out of the grave.

Absolutely. I actually have several photo tanks, and plan to take some good pics. When sampling streams, photos are usually all I take.

WELL TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH EVIL NEVER REALLY DIED...THERE IS NO BODY IN THAT GRAVE (much like the Jim Morison-Elvis myth) he is flying in with the NATURE BOY -RIC FLAIR!! and then riding from the airport to the starting line on a custom 75 Honda CB350 and instead of running he has decided to Push an old Elsinore 250 to make the stunt even more death defying!!