Cambarus gentryi | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Family: | Cambaridae |
Genus: | Cambarus |
Species: | C. gentryi
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Binomial name | |
Cambarus gentryi
Hobbs, 1970
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Cambarus gentryi, the linear cobalt crayfish, [2] is a small species of burrowing crayfish. One of 115 species in the genus Cambarus, [3] it is notable for its deep blue carapace. [4] It is endemic to Tennessee in the United States. [1] [2]
Although three specimens of C. gentryi were collected and stored in the 1890s, the species was not described until 1970 by Horton Hobbs Jr. [5] This followed its 1968 collection by Dr. Glenn Gentry, from which the species name was derived. [5]
The linear cobalt crayfish has been found in the Cumberland and Duck river basins in Tennessee. [4]There are 37 reported sightings of C. gentryi on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) between 1962-2022. [6] They are all localized to the southern part of Tennessee in the USA, North America. [6]
Cambarus gentryi has a shell length of around 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) and pincers about 2 cm (0.79 in) long. [4] Its shell is cobalt blue in colour with orange or yellow to yellowish-green markings. [4] The eyes are small and well-developed, and the areola (a structure which runs along the centre of the cephalothorax) is sublinear, or mostly uncurved. [5] Like other decapods, C. gentryi has ten pairs of legs, of which the forward-most pair are modified into robust pincers known as chela. [7] A detailed description of the morphological identifiers unique to C. gentryi, alongside drawings of the type specimen, may be found in the original species description in the Biodiversity Heritage Library: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34572783. [5]
The type specimen is stored in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., USA under the identifier USNM 130283. [8] The allotype (female) and morphotype (male) are in the same institution under the identifiers USNM 130284 and 130285. [8]
The linear cobalt crayfish creates burrows in damp areas along river banks. [5] Its burrows have been described in several locations across its range; although sometimes limited by soil depth, they can have multiple openings to the surface and have been found to be up to about 2.5 m (8 ft) in length and 0.91 m (3 ft) in depth. [5] [8]
Adults in family Cambaridae alternate molts between reproductive (form I) and non reproductive (Form II) forms. [7] Male form I has larger claws and altered sperm transfer gonopods; in some species, the female form I has a wider abdomen. [7] On collection of C. gentryi specimens in and prior to 1970, first-form males were collected at various times of year (April, May, and November) and egg- or young-bearing females had not been collected or identified. [5]
The exact lifespan of C. gentryi is not known; however, other individuals in this family (Cambaridae) have been known to live 6-7 years. [7]
C. gentryi is a known host of Uncinocythere zancla, an entocytherid osctracod. [9] This is a small crustacean which lives as an obligate ectosymbiont to other crustaceans by attaching to the carapaces. [10]
Cambarus gentryi is listed as least concern by the IUCN. [1]
Five publicly available gene fragment sequences exist for C. gentryi, available through NCBI genbank with taxonomy ID NCBI:txid318489. [11] The following gene fragments are available: [11]