Procambarus seminolae Hobbs 1942

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae Hobbs

Procambarus seminolae Hobbs, 1942b:142, figs. 166–170, 335–346.

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae.—Hobbs, 1972a:9; 1974b:60, fig. 232; 1981:430, figs. 14b, 136f, 138k, 169–172, 254.

Procambaris seminolae.—Wharton, 1978:46 [erroneous spelling].

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81286 (male I, female, male II); paratypes, MCZ, ANSP, USNM, UF (now in USNM, FSBC).

TYPE LOCALITY.—Roadside excavation about 9 miles (14.4 km) northeast of Gainesville on State Route 24 (old number 13), Alachua County, Florida (Sec. 32, T. 8S, R. 21E).

RANGE.—From the Altamaha River drainage in Georgia to Marion County, Florida. A few localities are known in Bryan, Montgomery, and Toombs counties, Georgia (see Hobbs, 1981:433).

HABITAT.—Lentic and lotic situations, and burrows (secondary or tertiary burrower).

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae Hobbs

Cambarus pubescens.—Hobbs, 1937:154.—Kilby, 1945:84.

Procambarus seminolae Hobbs, 1942b: 13, 15, 20, 21, 31, 45, 78, 106, 113, 124, 129, 130, 142–146*, figs. 166–170, 335–346; 1958a:73*, 79, 80*, 83, 85, 86, 88, fig. 11; 1958b:160, 167; 1959:889*; 1962:285*, fig. 36; 1966b:70; 1968b:K-11*, fig. 251.—Hoff, 1944:345*, 349*, 356*.—Hart, 1959:201*, 203.—Anonymous, 1967b, tab. 3*.—Hobbs III, 1969:41.—Cooper, 1969:203–205, fig. 1.—Hart and Hart, 1974: (21, 22, 30, 87, 90)*.—Franz, 1977a:93.—Burgess and Franz, 1978:167.—Wharton, 1978:220*.

Procambarus pubescens.—Penn, 1950b:647, 650.

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae.—Hobbs, 1972a:9; 1972b:63*, 152, 154*, figs. 21c, 26e, 49e; 1974b:60*, fig. 232.

Procambaris seminolae.—Wharton, 1978:46* [erroneous spelling].

These references are believed to constitute a complete bibliography for the species. Citations to Georgia are noted by asterisks.

SUMMARY OF LITERATURE.—The first reference to this crayfish was that of Hobbs (1937), who misidentified it as Cambarus pubescens Faxon (the description of the latter species was based on a second form male and a female). Not until the following year, when I obtained a first form male of Faxon's species, was I certain that the specimens from Florida had been misidentified. In the meantime, Kilby, in the course of his study of the feeding habits of two Florida frogs, asked me to identify specimens of this crayfish. His study was not published until 1945, and unfortunately my erroneous determination was not known to him. Kilby's record of Rana pipiens sphenocephala feeding upon this crayfish was repeated by Penn; however, the latter followed Hobbs (1942a) in using the combination Procambarus pubescens. Accompanying the original description of Procambarus (O.) seminolae (Hobbs, 1942b: 145) were records of its occurrence in Appling, Ben Hill, Brooks, Camden, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Dooly, Echols, Glynn, Lowndes, and Wayne counties in Georgia, as well as in seven of the more northeastern counties in Florida. These records, together with life history, ecological, and geographical data, constitute most of our knowledge of the species. Hoff (1944), in describing new entocytherid ostracods, reported the occurrence of two previously undescribed species, Entocythere elliptica and E. hobbsi, associated with this crayfish in Clinch and Colquitt counties, respectively. Hobbs (1958a), discussing the evolutionary history of the pictus Group of the genus Procambarus, pointed out the affinities of this crayfish with its congeners. New records of its occurrence in the Suwannee River basin were reported by Anonymous (1967b and 1973c), and Hart and Hart (1974) noted its serving as host to one or more of five entocytherids in Atkinson, Brantley, Clinch, Coffee, Crisp, Jeff Davis, and Worth counties. Cooper (1969), in comparing P. (O.) seminolae with one of its troglobitic relatives, P. (O.) lucifugus alachua (Hobbs, 1940a:402), found that the latter has longer, slenderer chelae and a larger number of aesthetascs on the flagellum of the antennule. Franz (1977a) suggested the possibility that the striped swamp snake Regina alleni might well utilize this crayfish as a food item where the range of the snake extends beyond those of Procambarus (Leconticambarus) alleni and P. (O.) fallax. The remaining references are to keys, brief discussions of relationships, statements of the range of the species, and/or include excerpts of data from earlier contributions.

DIAGNOSIS.—Rostrum with or without marginal spines or tubercles, lacking median carina. Carapace with or with only vestiges of 1 pair of small cervical spines or tubercles. Areola 3.8 to 7.6 (average 5.2) times as long as broad and constituting 26.3 to 32.3 (average 29.7) percent of entire length of carapace (36.4 to 41.9, average 39.1, percent of postorbital carapace length). Antennal peduncle almost always with spine (often adnate) or tubercle on ischium. Lateral half of ventral surface of ischium of third maxilliped lacking conspicuous mat of long plumose setae, although moderately conspicuous pilosity sometimes present on proximal half. Basis of cheliped without mesial spine. Mesial surface of palm of chela of male with mesialmost row of tubercles consisting of 6 to 12 (usually 7 or 8). Male with hooks on ischia of third and fourth pereiopods, in first form male that on third simple and overreaching basioischial articulation and that on fourth usually bituberculate and not reaching articulation but opposed by prominent caudodistally disposed protuberance on distal end of corresponding basis. First pleopods asymmetrical and reaching coxae of third pereiopods (one or more terminal elements of right pleopod often reaching caudal surface of coxa of second pereiopod), distal part of appendage straight and lacking hump on cephalic surface; subapical setae flanking mesial, cephalic, and lateral base of cephalic process; mesial and cephalic processes subspiculiform, former directed distally and caudolaterally, curving around distomesial surface of tumescent part of shaft; cephalic process straight and directed distally, frequently overreaching (rarely falling short of level of tip of central projection) other terminal elements; caudal process absent; caudal knob not clearly delimited from tumescent end of shaft; and corneous central projection consisting of long, narrow, acute, curved blade, with tip directed more caudally than distally. Female with sternum cephalic to annulus ventralis usually unadorned; rarely with 1 to 3 small tubercles on each side, but none projecting over anteroventral surface of annulus; annulus ventralis subovate in outline, greatest width in transverse plane; ventral surface with high lateral walls flanking broad median, often caudally flared, depression; sinus originating in depression near median line slightly anterior to midlength of annulus, and, after coursing caudolaterally across median line and making hairpin turn, continuing across median line before turning back to it and ending short distance anterior to posterior margin of annulus; tongue directed either dextrally or sinistrally. Postannular sclerite at least two-thirds as wide as annulus and either arched ventrally or with median subconical protuberance; first pleopod present.

COLOR NOTES (Figure 136f).—Carapace predominately dark brown, fading ventrally to pinkish or grayish tan and bearing broad dorsomedian orange tan stripe extending posteriorly from acumen almost to caudal margin of carapace; rostral margins reddish brown; antennal, anterior part of mandibular, and ventral hepatic regions with cream spots separated by limited dark brown area. Branchiostegites with 2 pairs of black spots dorsolaterally: 1 at level of posterior extremity of cervical groove and other just anterior to junction of caudal ridge and caudal flange; latter pair usually joined by reticulate, very dark transverse band along anterior side of caudal ridge (band sometimes broken by median longitudinal stripe, and sometimes hardly discernible); ventrolateral part of branchiostegites with irregular cream tan splotches. Abdomen with median dorsal dark brown stripe narrowing caudally to base of telson; stripe flanked by paired, narrower pinkish brown ones, and these in turn by darker reddish brown ones extending along bases of pleura; latter pinkish brown, with centrally located pinkish cream spot on each, spots diminishing in size on succeeding segments caudally. Telson with reddish brown, paired cephalolateral spots, transverse band near midlength, and broad band along margin expanding over most of caudal section; uropods with reddish brown keels and broad bands distally. Antennular and antennal peduncles dark grayish tan with reddish markings, flagella reddish brown. Dorsal surface of cheliped distal to ischium olive brown, becoming suffused with orange on propodus and dactyl and studded with very dark brown to black tubercles; ventral surface of more distal podomeres mostly orange. Remaining pereiopods grayish olive to brown and mottled with reddish brown; distal parts of merus and carpus darker than remainder of appendages. Ventral surface of body cream to orange cream.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81286 (I, , II); paratypes, MCZ, ANSP, USNM.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Roadside excavation about 9 miles northeast of Gainesville on State Route 24, Alachua County, Florida.

RANGE.—Except for a few localities in Bryan, Montgomery, and Toombs counties, Georgia, this crayfish ranges from the Ocmulgee-Altamaha River southward in the Suwannee, Satilla, and Saint Marys basins to Marion County and lower Saint Johns Basin in Florida. In Georgia, it has been found in tributaries on the lower Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, and Flint watersheds, and it appears to occur throughout the Satilla, Saint Marys, and Suwannee drainage systems. While occupying virtually all of the Barrier Island Sequence, Okefenokee Basin, and Bacon Terraces districts, it ranges through that part of the Tifton Upland drained by the Suwannee River, the southern part of the Vidalia Upland, and small segments of the Fall Line Hills and Dougherty Plain districts. The occurrence of this crayfish in Bryan County is surprising, and almost certainly the species was introduced there in an area well within the range of its close morphological and ecological ally P. (O.) lunzi.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—I have examined a total of 1859 specimens, of which 272 were collected in Florida and 1587 in Georgia from the following counties (Figure 170) (the numbers of localities in each are included in parentheses and the only localities detailed here are those along the northern and northwestern extremities of the range): Appling (6), Atkinson (6), Bacon (3), Ben Hill (6), Berrien (3), Brantley (3), Brooks (4), Bryan (1, roadside ditch 5.2 mi W of US Hwy 280 on St Rte 119), Camden (3), Charlton (6), Clinch (13), Coffee (12), Colquitt (6), Cook (3), Crisp (1, drainage ditch 0.9 mi N of Turner Co line on US Hwy 41), Dooly (2, roadside ditch 2.8 mi N of Crisp Co line on US Hwy 41, and ditch 0.6 mi NW of Wilcox Co line on St Rte 215), Echols (3), Glynn (5), Irwin (4), Jeff Davis (7), Lanier (2), Lowndes (3), Montgomery (3, temporary pool off Oconee River at US Hwy 280), Pierce (1), Tift (3), Toombs (4, Alligator Creek 1.0 mi E of Montgomery Co line on St Rte 130), Turner (9), Ware (7), Wayne (7), Wilcox (8), and Worth (3).

VARIATIONS.—Despite the marked variations that have been observed in members of this species, there is no evidence that any are restricted to a limited part of its range. As in most of the tertiary burrowing crayfishes, the rostrum exhibits a tremendous amount of variation (Figure 171), both in the degree of convergence in the margins and in the ornamentation of the apical region. In some specimens there are well-defined acute marginal spines, delimiting the base of a subspiculiform acumen; in others the marginal spines are represented by low tubercles and the acumen is short with a rounded tip; the extreme suppression of apical features occurs in specimens from burrows in beds of temporary bodies of water; in these crayfish the margins of the rostrum converge uninterrupted to the tip. The length is also variable, and there is considerable evidence that in at least some individuals the shortening is associated with the burrowing habit of the specimen—those living in temporary bodies of water frequently having shorter rostra, lacking well-developed spines or tubercles. The areola also varies rather strikingly in both relative length and width, but much of the apparent difference in length is a reflection of the much more variable rostral length. Many of the narrower (more than 5.9 times as long as broad) areolae are in the larger individuals, suggesting that the areola may decrease in width with age, but some of the broadest areolae occur among the larger specimens: the broadest areola observed occurs in a second form male, having a carapace length of 38.7 (postorbital carapace length 28.2) mm, and the narrowest (one-half as wide as the broadest) in a first form male, with corresponding lengths of 42.8 (31.6) mm. The cervical spine, which is often well developed in some of the stream-dwelling members of the species, is frequently greatly reduced in size. In some individuals inhabiting temporary ponds or pools, the tuberculate remnant of the spine is scarcely, if at all, larger than other tubercles adjacent to it. The hook on the ischium of the fourth pereiopod of the male is usually rather obviously weakly bituberculate, but in an occasional individual the hook has a broad, truncate distal extremity and rarely appears to be tapering from the base to a rounded tip. In the first pleopod of the first form male, the cephalic process may fall short of (Figure 172b,c) or overreach (Figure 172a,d,e,f) the level of the distal extremity of the central projection. The latter is occasionally much reduced in size (Figure 172e), sometimes, at least, probably resulting from regeneration following injury. Furthermore, the dextral pleopod may or may not reach the level of the caudal margin of the coxa of the second pereiopod. In the female, the annulus ventralis always exhibits a broad, median longitudinal trough, flanked by high lateral walls, but the trough may be of nearly uniform width or may be considerably broader posteriorly (thus being somewhat ovoid in shape), and occasionally it may appear to be subcircular. The flanking walls may be comparatively smooth, irregular, or even rarely multituberculate. The sternum immediately anterior to the annulus is most often smooth; occasionally it is studded with short setae (Figure 172i) or bears one or more tubercles on each side (Figure 172g,h). The postannular sclerite, although usually broadly arched, occasionally has a median subconical prominence.

SIZE.—The largest specimen available is a female, with a carapace length of 44.0 (postorbital carapace length 33.8) mm. Corresponding lengths of the smallest and largest first form males are 22.2 (17.2) mm and 42.8 (31.6) mm; those of the smallest ovigerous female, 20.9 (15.6) mm.

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae Hobbs

Procambarus seminolae Hobbs, 1942b: 142, figs. 166–170, 335–346.

Procambarus (Ortmannicus) seminolae,—Hobbs, 1972a:9.

TYPES.—Holotype, allotype, and “morphotype,” USNM 81286 (I, , II); paratypes, MCZ, ANSP, USNM, UF (now in USNM).

TYPES-LOCALITY.—Roadside excavation about 9 miles northeast of Gainesville on State Route 24, Alachua County, Florida.

RANGE.—From the Altamaha River drainage in Georgia to Marion County, Florida.

HABITAT.—Lentic and lotic situations, and burrows (secondary or tertiary burrower).

Procambarus (O.) seminolae

E Ankylocythere ancyla: Atkinson, Coffee, Jeff Davis, Worth (Hart and Hart, 1974:21, 22)

Ankylocythere sinuosa: Crisp (Hart and Hart, 1974:30)

Entocythere dorsorotunda: Clinch (Hart and Hart, 1974:87)

Entocythere elliptica: Clinch (Hoff, 1944:345)

Entocythere internotalus: Atkinson, Brantley, Worth (Hart and Hart, 1974:90)

Procambarus seminolae er en art av ferskvannskreps innenfor den artsrike slekten Procambarus, og den tilhører underslekten Ortmannicus som har en ganske stor utbredelse nord-sør i USA fra omtrent de store sjøene og Appalachene gjennom Midtvesten ned mot Mexico.

Arten hører videre under familien Cambaridae (orden Reptantia) blant tifotkrepsene. Procambarus seminolae er en av anslagsvis 160 arter i slekten Procambarus.