Water Nymph Crayfish
The water nymph is a native Colorado crayfish.
About This Species
The water nymph crayfish is an abundant, wide ranging generalist species. Other name: Kansas Pond Crayfish.
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Physical Characteristics
Adults rarely exceed 130 mm in length at maturity. The carapace is smooth and the abdomen is nearly the same length. The therostrum is long and centrally depressed, with lateral margins converging into small but distinct spines. The water nymph crayfish has the shortest terminal projections on Form I male first pleopods (swimmerets) of all the Colorado orconectids except O. propinquus. The chelae (claws) are broad, flattened, and long, with a bluish-green tint above and white coloration below. This species ranges from greenish brown to brown, with cream stripes running along the bottom halves of the carapace. The abdomen has two rows of longitudinal black blotches.
Habitat
The water nymph crayfish occurs in flowing streams or cool spring-fed backwater and long pool runs produced by shallow overflow dams. It is probably native to the Arkansas and Arikaree River (Republican) drainages, but the species is now widespread in the South Platte, Rio Grande, and on the West Slope. The water nymph crayfish occurs in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The range limits of this species are not entirely known, but it is very abundant in many locations where it has been collected in the United States.