It is either Cambarus spicatus (the Broad River spiny crayfish, which is a species of conservation concern in SC) or Cambarus acuminatus (Acuminate crayfish). Unknown ( Cambarus sp.) - A single female was found that could not be confidently identified.Eastern Red Swamp Crawfish ( Procambarus troglodytes) - This species was the most abundant species at the park, and was found in streams, guts, ox-bow lakes, gum ponds, and sloughs.Cedar Creek Crayfish ( Procambarus chacei) - This species, which was found only in stream habitats, is a species of conservation concern in SC.White River Crayfish (Procambarus acutus) - This species was found in all habitats.Digger Crayfish ( Fallicambarus fodiens) - This species was found in streams, guts, ox-bow lakes, gum ponds, and sloughs.

Sickle Crayfish ( Cambarus reduncus) - Two individuals were found burrowing in floodplains.Devil Crayfish ( Cambarus diogenes) - This species was usually found burrowing in floodplains.The seven species included the following: This gives the park more crayfish biodiversity than other, larger, Federally-protected areas in the region. Scientists found seven crayfish species at Congaree National Park. Large males are easy to identify, however, so scientists actually find this method useful in some cases. Minnow traps, for example, tend to catch large males and exclude both small males and females. Other sampling methods tended to only catch crayfish of a certain species, size, or sex at a given site. Electrofishing was generally the most effective method overall. Scientists compared the results from each method to see which one worked the best. Seine Netting - Teams of scientists dragged a wide net, with weights on the bottom, along the channel to catch anything swimming, including crayfish.Minnow Traps - Scientists used small wire minnow traps that were baited with dog food, hung in the water, and checked daily.Stunned crayfish were scooped up in a dip net. Electrofishing - Scientists sent a mild electric shock into the water to temporarily stun (but not kill) crayfish.Dip Netting - Scientists simply used nets to catch crayfish found while wading.This prevents the need to dig up the entire burrow. Burrow Net - Scientists experimented with a small net that was inserted into a crayfish burrow.Researchers used several methods to capture live crayfish before releasing them back into their habitat. Floodplains are defined for this study as the flat, relatively elevated areas between water features.Sloughs are low, poorly-defined areas that dry out more frequently than gum ponds.They are usually (but not always) flooded. Gum Ponds have well-defined banks and lots of tupelo (gum) trees.Ox-bow Lakes, like Weston Lake, have permanent, standing water.Guts are channels that have flowing water during floods but dry out in between floods.Streams, like Cedar Creek, are channels with flowing water year round.Scientists sampled crayfish in six distinct habitats: In 2005, Congaree National Park partnered with scientists from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Clemson University to study crayfish diversity and distribution at the park. While some species can be locally invasive, scientists generally recognize that native crayfish –and all the habitats and organisms that depend on them –are relatively vulnerable to human impacts. Many crayfish are secretive and difficult to identify. Surprisingly little is known about crayfish ecology worldwide. More specifically, crayfish are Decapods, which is Greek for 'ten feet.' Of the 500 crayfish species found worldwide, about 350 species are found in North America, and more than 37 species are found in South Carolina. Crayfish in turn are important food items for bass, snakes, raccoons, barred owls, and other animals - including people!Īs crustaceans, crayfish are invertebrates related to shrimp, crabs, lobsters, and pill bugs. They can serve as scavengers that help recycle dead plant material or predators that feed on other invertebrates and small fish. Crayfish burrows provide important habitats for other small animals. Other species live under the forest floor and make mud 'chimneys' around burrow openings. Some species live in streams and lakes, where they burrow into banks or hide under woody debris. Crayfish, also called crawfish, mudbugs, or crawdads, are an important and often overlooked part of the floodplain forest ecosystem at Congaree National Park.Ĭrayfish - also called crawfish, mudbugs, or crawdads - are an important and often overlooked part of the floodplain forest ecosystem at Congaree National Park.

Wild clawfish in us