''Orconectes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of cave dwelling

freshwater crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

, endemic to suitable habitats in the eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Surface dwelling species, formerly categorised here, were moved to ''

Faxonius ''Faxonius'' is a genus of freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae. There are more than 90 described species in ''Faxonius''. It includes the rusty crayfish, an invasive species in North America, and three species, ''F. virilis'', ''F. immu ...

'' in 2017. Due to their subterranean habitat, they are usually depigmented, often blind, and are long-lived. Ages of 176 years have been claimed for ''O. australis'', though this was reduced to ≤22 years in a 2012 study.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Orconectes'' was erected in 1872 by

Edward Drinker Cope Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an American zoologist, paleontologist, comparative anatomist, herpetologist, and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested ...

to house ''Astacus pellucidus'' (now ''

Orconectes pellucidus ''Orconectes'' is a genus of cave dwelling freshwater crayfish, endemic to suitable habitats in the eastern United States. Surface dwelling species, formerly categorised here, were moved to ''Faxonius'' in 2017. Due to their subterranean habit ...

'') and his new species, ''

Orconectes inermis ''Orconectes'' is a genus of List of troglobites#Crustacea, cave dwelling crayfish, freshwater crayfish, endemic to suitable habitats in the eastern United States. Surface dwelling species, formerly categorised here, were moved to ''Faxonius'' in ...

''. Prior to the 2017 review by Oxford university, the genus contained 85 species in 11 subgenera. The ''

'' subgenus was raised to a full genus, and the majority of species formerly recorded as ''Orconectes'' were moved there. Following the review, approximately 8 species are known:

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1311791 Cambaridae Cave crayfish Fauna of the Eastern United States Freshwater crustaceans of North America Crustacean genera Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope