Procambarus gibbus Hobbs 1969

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus Hobbs

Procambarus gibbus Hobbs, 1969c:337, figs. 12–23.

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus.—Hobbs, 1972a: 10.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and morphotype, USNM 129804, 129803, 129805 ( I, , II); paratypes, USNM.

TYPES-LOCALITY.—Tributary to Muckalee Creek (Flint River drainage), 3.2 miles north of Americus on U.S. Highway 19, Sumter County, Georgia.

RANGE.—Flint River drainage system in Crawford, Lee, Schley, and Sumter counties, Georgia.

HABITAT.—Streams.

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus Hobbs

Procambarus gibbus Hobbs, 1969c:337, figs. 12–23.

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus.—Hobbs, 1972a:10; 1974b:62, fig. 275; 1981:440, figs. 12e, 173f, 174, 175, 183a, 255.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and morphotype, USNM 129804, 129803, 129805 (male I, female, male II); paratypes, USNM.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Tributary to Muckalee Creek (Flint River drainage), 3.2 miles (5.1 km) north of Americus on U.S. Highway 19, Sumter County, Georgia.

RANGE.—Flint River drainage system in Baker, Crawford, Lee, Marion, Schley, and Sumter counties, Georgia.

HABITAT.—Streams.

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus Hobbs

Procambarus gibbus Hobbs, 1969b:337–343, 345–347, figs. 12–23.—Bouchard, 1972:87.

Procambarus (Pennides) gibbus.—Hobbs, 1972a:10; 1972b:70, 150, 154, fig. 55d; 1974b:62, fig. 275.

The above is believed to be a complete bibliography for the species, and, inasmuch as this crayfish is endemic to the state, all references apply to Georgia.

SUMMARY OF LITERATURE.—No information has been added to our knowledge of this crayfish subsequent to its description (Hobbs, 1969b). Originally placed in the “Spiculifer Group” of the genus, it, along with the other members of the group, was assigned to the subgenus Pennides by Hobbs (1972a).

DIAGNOSIS.—Rostrum with marginal spines and lacking median carina. Carapace with 2 pairs of cervical spines. Areola 2.8 to 3.5 times as long as broad and constituting 23.8 to 27.8 percent of entire length of carapace (34.0 to 37.3 percent of postorbital carapace length). Antennal peduncle with spine on ischium. Ventral surface of basis and ischium of third maxilliped not densely bearded. Basis of cheliped without spine. Mesial surface of palm of chela bearing prominent row of 5 or 6 tubercles. Male with simple hook on ischium of third pereiopod and weakly bituberculate one on that of fourth. First pleopods asymmetrical and reaching coxae of third pereiopods, cephalic surface without shoulder; subapical setae abundant, many arising from distolateral surface of appendage; mesial process slender and directed caudodistally at angle of approximately 30 degrees to shaft of appendage; cephalic process absent; central projection beaklike, corneous, not extending distally beyond mesial process, but cephalic base situated far proximal to level of base of caudal process, and directed distally even though cephalic margin convex; caudal element consisting of simple, small bladelike corneous process closely applied to caudal margin of central projection, mesial adventitious ridge and caudal knob poorly delimited from much swollen caudolateral end of shaft, although somewhat finger-like at lateral base of caudal process. Female with sternum cephalic to annulus ventralis not multituberculate, never with more than single pair of lobiform prominences extending caudally and obscuring very little part of annulus; cephalic half of latter with median longitudinal trough and with subplane triangular midcaudal depressed area incised by straight or obliquely directed sinus; first pleopod present. (Modified from Hobbs, 1969b:337.)

COLOR NOTES (Figure 173x).—Dorsum of carapace pale tan, with margins of rostrum and postorbital ridges dark brown. Cephalodorsal areas dark brown, changing to reddish brown in caudal hepatic and gastric areas; ventral hepatic region with pair of dark brown oblique bars on cream tan background. Branchiostegites with usual saddle: horns and caudoventral portion of saddle almost black; bar, very narrow dorsally, connecting broader dorsolateral portions by thin line on extreme caudodorsal margin; area below horns pale tan, fading to cream. Abdominal terga tan to olive, with caudal margins black and each with pair of transverse dorsolateral black bars; first 5 abdominal pleura with longitudinal black stripe at base and narrow border along margins, each with scarlet spot above stripe, and with cream area between stripe and margin. Sixth tergum with caudally emarginate scarlet band cephalically and entire band caudally. Telson bearing pair of black spots in cephalolateral corners of caudal section, otherwise tan to dark brown. Lateral ramus of uropod blackish brown mesially and distally; mesial ramus mostly blackish brown but with light spot proximomesial to midlength. Antennules and antennae dark brown. Chela brownish black, with white to cream-tipped tubercles; tips of fingers scarlet; carpus and distal part of merus blackish tan dorsally, latter fading proximally through greenish tan to cream tan, with ischium and coxa mostly cream. Remaining pereiopods greenish, with brownish markings above, paler below, fading proximally to cream tan. (Modified from Hobbs, 1969b:341–342.)

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and morphotype, USNM 129804, 129803, 129805 (I, , II); paratypes, USNM.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Tributary to Muckalee Creek (Flint River basin), 3.2 miles north of Americus on U.S. Highway 19, Sumter County, Georgia.

RANGE.—Endemic in the Dougherty Plain and Fall Line Hills districts of the Coastal Plain Province of Georgia, where it is confined to the Flint River watershed between Crawford and Baker counties.

GEORGIA SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—I have examined 210 specimens from the following localities. Baker County: (1) Coolewahee Creek 7.2 airmi N of Newton on Co Rd, 1II, 28 Jan 1972, J. W. Ramsey, collector. Crawford County: (2) trib to Flint River 1.5 mi E of Taylor Co line on St Rte 128, 9II, 13, 1j, 6j, 17 Apr 1968, G. B. Hobbs, HHH; 4II, 1, 11j, 10j, 25 Sep 1972, E. T. Hall, Jr., W. D. Kennedy, HHH. Lee County: (3) trib to Muckalee Creek about 7 mi E of Leesburg, 2I, 3II, 2, 4j, 1j, 11 Aug 1932, E. B. Williamson; (4) trib to Muckalee Creek about 7 mi S of Leesburg, 1I, 1II, 4, 4j, 1j, 11 Aug 1932, EBW; (5) “Lee County,” 1I, 1, 11 Aug 1932, EBW; (6) spring near Leesburg, 2II, 1, 1j, 29 Nov 1952, P. Heath; (7) Muckalee Creek 6 mi SW of Sumter Co line, 1, 15 Apr 1968, GBH, HHH; (8) Muckaloochee Creek in Smithville, 1II, 3, 12j, 14j, 14 Apr 1968, GBH, HHH. Marion County: (9) Muckalee Creek 2.5 airmi SE of Buena Vista, 1II, 2, 8j, 6j, 22 Nov 1976, M. W. Walker, K. W. Martin; (10) trib to Muckalee Creek 3.5 mi SE of Buena Vista, 1II, 3, 2j, 1j, 23 Nov 1976, MWW, KWM. Schley County: (11) trib to Muckalee Creek 3.8 mi SW of Ellaville on St Rte 153, 1II, 2, 2j, 15 Apr 1968, GBH, HHH. Sumter County: (12) type-locality, 1I, 2II, 4, 11j, 25j, 15 Apr 1968, GBH, HHH; 5II, 7, 4j, 2j, 26 Mar 1952, E. C. Raney; (13) trib to Muckalee Creek 5 airmi ESE of Friendship on Co Rd, 1II, 1, 1j, 1j, 14 Apr 1972, D. D. Martin, F. L. Martin.

VARIATIONS.—

Among the few variations noted, none of which are associated with a restricted portion of the range, are occasional cephalolateral tubercles on the epistome, telson with one or two spines in caudolateral corner of cephalic section, inner margin of palm of chela with five or six tubercles, upper distal surface of merus of cheliped with two or three spines, ischium of cheliped with two to four spines, and hooks on ischia of fourth pereiopods in first form male simple or weakly bituberculate (Hobbs, 1969b:342–343).

SIZE.—The largest specimen available is a second form male, having a carapace length of 48.7 (postorbital carapace length 34.0) mm. Corresponding lengths of the smallest and largest first form males are 29.8 (21.4) mm and 37.0 (26.3) mm, respectively, and those of the largest female, 41.4 (27.8) mm.

Procambarus gibbus, the Muckalee Crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to the Flint River drainage in the U.S. state of Georgia. The common name refers to the Muckalee Creek in Sumter County, Georgia, from where the first specimens were collected.

It is listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.