Kentucky has a rich diversity of aquatic organisms, including fish, mussels, insects and crayfish. This diversity is accounted for by the following reasons: the political boundaries of the state extend across many physiographic regions which provide a diverse variety of habitats; the many miles of streams in Kentucky; and part of the eastern region of the state is located on the Cumberland Plateau, which may be the center of origin of crayfish belonging to the genus Cambarus and possibly the genus Orconectes (Rhoades 1962, Hobbs 1967, 1969).

The Upper Cumberland River is located on the Cumberland Plateau, which is thought to have been the origin of evolution for the crayfish genera Cambarus and Orconectes. The Upper Cumberland River flows through Harlan, Bell, Knox, Letcher, Whitley and McCreary counties in Kentucky. The Cumberland River originates in Harlan County, and is formed by the confluence of the Poor and Clover Forks. The Cumberland River is the sixth longest river in the United States; it is 1,121 km long and drains an area of 46,658 km2.

Crayfishes reach the greatest diversity in the southeastern United States, and play important ecological roles in freshwater communities. It is estimated that at least 52 species of crayfishes exist within the borders of Kentucky. The Green River Basin is the largest of the 12 river basins in the Commonwealth, and five major watersheds drain into it: the Pond River, Rough River, Mud River, Barren River, and Nolin River. The Green River System is presently known to possess five genera and 25 species of crayfishes. Prior to this survey, a systematic documentation of the occurrence and distribution of the crayfishes of the Green River System had never been undertaken. Stream-dwelling and burrowing crayfishes were collected from April 2002 to April 2003. Historical collection data were obtained from the museums of Eastern Kentucky University, the Smithsonian Institution, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Kentucky Division of Water, and the Ohio State University. Crayfish collections were also supplied by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission and the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service. Morphological variations have been observed in Orconectes barrenensis and Barbicambarus cornutus, and ranges have been expanded for the following species: Barbicambarus cornutus, Cambarus cumberlandensis, C. deweesae, C. ortmanni, C. rusticiformis, Fallicambarus fodiens, Orconectes barrenensis, O. immunis, O. putnami, O. rafinesquei, O. rusticus, and Procambarus acutus. Cluster analysis revealed that the Little Barren River and Russell Creek had 92% similar faunal assemblages. Several groups of closely associated species were also discovered, including Cambarus deweesae and C. thomai.

The purpose of this study was to inventory the crayfishes of Station Camp Creek, which in recent years has been suggested as a possible location for a new reservoir. No survey of the crayfishes of Station Camp Creek had ever been conducted. The objectives of this study included: 1) to do a complete inventory of the crayfish fauna of the Station Camp Creek drainage; 2) to determine the distribution of each species within the drainage; 3) to determine habitat preferences for each species; 4) to develop new collecting techniques for burrowing crayfish.

The Louisville crayfish (Orconectes jeffersoni) is a poorly known member of the family Cambaridae. I conducted qualitative and quantitative surveys from 2007-2010 throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana, USA, in order to better define the range of the species, characterize its habitat requirements, assess its conservation status, and determine population densities in selected streams. I used a General Linear Model (GLM) Univariate Analysis of Variance to test if O. jeffersoni partitions macrohabitat (riffle, run, and pool) by size and a Chi Square test of independence to determine if O. jeffersoni partitions macrohabitat by gender. During qualitative sampling events, O. jeffersoni was found to be restricted to first to third order streams flowing through uplands experiencing varying degrees of urban influence in Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, and Oldham Counties, Kentucky. Orconectes jeffersoni density was found to be 1.23 (±1.81) individuals/0.25m2 over all quantitative sites. No significant difference in O. jeffersoni density was observed among flow regimes (riffle, run, and pool). There was a significant relationship between stream substrate and O. jeffersoni density. Additionally, O. jeffersoni did not seem to partition microhabitat based upon size or gender. The results of this study indicate that O. jeffersoni is a habitat generalist, and that it is restricted to a small geographic range; possibly due to a natural barrier to travel represented by the Ohio River. This study serves to assist natural resource professionals with the management and conservation of the Louisville crayfish.

Photographs and text examine the species of plants and animals native to Kentucky, exploring glades, prairies, forests, wetlands, rivers, and caves, and discussing the state's conservation efforts to preserve native species and ecosystems.

"This book represents the most in-depth treatment of crayfishes for the state of Alabama to date. Alabama is currently known to host 99 species of crayfishes. The findings in this book are based on more than 9,000 records gathered from across the entire state. The authors collected specimens and data from all of Alabama's major and minor waterways and lakes, as well as specialized habitats such as burrows, roadside ditches, marshes, swamps, and temporary autumnal ponds. They visited all the major museums with holdings of crayfish specimens from Alabama, yielding a list of historical records including 4,259 specimen lots from approximately 2,200 unique locations. These records were used to build a database containing all available specimen metadata, including, but not limited to: species identification, number of individuals collected, location, date of collection, names of collectors, who identified the specimens, and the museum in which they are stored. Field work was conducted over a 14-year period during which a total of 4,487 specimen lots were collected and added to the database from approximately 2,600 unique locations sampled across Alabama. Prior to this book, no single comprehensive book or reference has ever been published on the crayfishes of Alabama. This book compiles 166 years of crayfish distributional and biological data for the 99 known Alabama species. It begins with chapters on the physiography and waterways of Alabama. One chapter discusses the general distributional patterns and habitat associations of Alabama crayfishes. Subsequent chapters discuss crayfish biology, ecology, conservation, and anatomy. Detailed species accounts include descriptions of morphological characters, life color, maximum size, comparative species, distribution and habitat, biology, crayfish associates, and conservation status. Color photographs, morphological plates, and dot maps showing distributions are included for each species; for many species, multiple color photos demonstrate the known color variations within each species. An illustrated key is provided to guide the identification of all 99 species. As the most up-to-date and comprehensive source of information on Alabama crayfishes to date, "Crayfishes of Alabama" provides a new perspective on Alabama's unique place as a biodiversity hotspot. It will be of lasting value to aquatic biologists and ecologists throughout the Southeast and crayfish biologists around the world, as well as of interest to natural resource managers, aquaculture farmers, and naturalists"--