''Cambarus hubrichti'' is a species of

decapoda The Decapoda or decapods (literally "ten-footed") are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and prawns. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is esti ...

in the family Cambaridae. The species goes by the common name Salem cave crayfish. It is generally an omnivorous species. But, since green plants are scarce in caves it usually eats a proportion of animal meat.

Occurrence

The species is endemic to the

Salem Plateau Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

in the southeastern part of Missouri. It is found in the east-central parts of the Ozarks The species is most often found in cave streams and underground lakes, sometimes it is also found at the mouth of springs. According to the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, in cave streams the species appears to prefer deep pools and

siphons A siphon (from grc, σίφων, síphōn, "pipe, tube", also spelled nonetymologically syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in a ...

fed by submerged passages.

Threats

According to the

the greatest threats to this species is pollution as well as residential and commercial development. In 1981 a pipeline broke causing ammonium fertilizer to leak into the Maramec Spring, resulting in the death of thousands of individuals. According to the Missouri department of conservation. Since the species is uncommon and has a limited range, it is therefore vulnerable to extirpation as well as extinction. Keeping the groundwater clean is key to help the species survive.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4475501 Cambaridae Cave crayfish Crustaceans described in 1952 Taxa named by Horton H. Hobbs Jr.