''Cambarellus zacapuensis'', also known as Zacapu acocil or Zacapu dwarf crayfish, is a small crustacean endemic to the Angulo River basin, observed mainly in

Zacapu Lagoon The Zacapu Lagoon is a small perennial wetland located within the urban area of Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico. It has an approximate area of 33 hectares, connects with the Lerma River through the Angulo River and is fed by 20 springs. The Zacapu La ...

Description

The Zacapu acocil is a species morphologically very similar to the Chapala acocil (''

Cambarellus chapalanus ''Cambarellus'' is a genus of small freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae. The 19 species are found in Mexico (subgenus ''Cambarellus'') and the Gulf States of the United States (subgenus ''Pandicambarus''). Among the Mexican species, '' ...

''). Males of ''C. zacapuensis'' have an average length of 26 millimeters, with a 12 millimeters long and 5.5 millimeters wide cephalothorax, while females have an average length of 32 millimeters, with a 14.5 millimeters long and 7 millimeters wide

cephalothorax The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...

. ''C. zacapuensis'' has a pigmented body, well-developed eyes, and a rostrum with marginal spines. Its shell lacks a cervical spine or a branchial spine.

Conservation status and habitat

The Zacapu acocil is found mainly in Zacapu Lagoon and in some of its drains such as the Angulo River. It is usually found at a shallow depth, between submerged roots and in the aquatic substrate. The introduction of invasive species such as

common carp The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...

and

grass carp The grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') is a species of large herbivorous freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, native to the Pacific Far East, with a native range stretching from northern Vietnam to the Amur River on the Sino-Russian ...

pose a threat to the Cambarellus zacapuensis population, as has happened to other species of the Cambarellus genus elsewhere. The exploitation of the water resources of their habitat by human action also represents a threat to the small crustacean, which is why it could be considered endangered under IUCN criteria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q32832883 Cambaridae Mexican cuisine Edible crustaceans Freshwater crustaceans of North America Crustaceans described in 1857 Endemic crustaceans of Mexico