Question, are crayfish common in pine barrens? I saw a instagram post of one in pines and I never thought of them being around. I do recall otter scat with signs of them in cumberland.
Crayfish
- Thread starter dragoncjo
- Start date
I personally have seen only one Crawdad in NJ and it was one of the biggest ones i ever saw.This was in laurel lake in the 70"s.I was about 11.Here is some info from a scientist that sent it to me.Apparently there are several species here.
Six crayfish have been reported from NJ, four native, two non-native. Natives: common crayfish (Cambarus bartonii bartonii), chimney crayfish (Cambarus diogenes), spinycheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus), White River crayfish (Procambarus acutus acutus; previously included in a broadly circumscribed P. blandingii blandingii). Non-natives: rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis). The distribution information on these for the state is a bit spotty but Cambarus diogenes and Procambarus acutus acutus definitely occur in the Pinelands. Cambarus diogenes typically occurs in muddy areas, such as intermittent ponds, where it forms the characteristic “chimneys”. Procambarus acutus acutus can be found in streams and ponds in the Pinelands; material of this species is taxonomically complex and the NJ material has gone under multiple names. Regarding the other two native crayfish species, Orconectes limosus appears to be chiefly limited to North Jersey and in South Jersey along the Delaware, although it may reach the outer fringes of the Pinelands and Cambarus bartonii bartonii is chiefly in North Jersey barely reaching the Coastal Plain of South Jersey (see map in Francois 1959). I don’t know anything about the NJ distributions of the two non-native species. Sources: Francois, D.D. 1959. The crayfishes of New Jersey. Ohio J. Sci. 59(2): 108-127; Hobbs, H. H. Jr. An illustrated checklist of the American crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Paratacidae). Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 480. 1989.
Six crayfish have been reported from NJ, four native, two non-native. Natives: common crayfish (Cambarus bartonii bartonii), chimney crayfish (Cambarus diogenes), spinycheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus), White River crayfish (Procambarus acutus acutus; previously included in a broadly circumscribed P. blandingii blandingii). Non-natives: rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis). The distribution information on these for the state is a bit spotty but Cambarus diogenes and Procambarus acutus acutus definitely occur in the Pinelands. Cambarus diogenes typically occurs in muddy areas, such as intermittent ponds, where it forms the characteristic “chimneys”. Procambarus acutus acutus can be found in streams and ponds in the Pinelands; material of this species is taxonomically complex and the NJ material has gone under multiple names. Regarding the other two native crayfish species, Orconectes limosus appears to be chiefly limited to North Jersey and in South Jersey along the Delaware, although it may reach the outer fringes of the Pinelands and Cambarus bartonii bartonii is chiefly in North Jersey barely reaching the Coastal Plain of South Jersey (see map in Francois 1959). I don’t know anything about the NJ distributions of the two non-native species. Sources: Francois, D.D. 1959. The crayfishes of New Jersey. Ohio J. Sci. 59(2): 108-127; Hobbs, H. H. Jr. An illustrated checklist of the American crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Paratacidae). Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 480. 1989.
I tried to catch the one in the lake but instead of allowing me to herd him into shallow water where i could smack him out onto dry land he headed for deeper water.He was in about two feet of water when i seen Him.I often will smash the small ones flat with my hand and then reach under and get them but this guy was bigger then my 11 year old hand and he was ready to fight and being in the water he could turn faster then I could flank Him and i wasn't willing to offer him a finger to get him out of the water.
Ha! Sounds like some yokel had recently let a lobster loose.
Yes I"m not usually intimidated by Crawdads but this one took my heart.If I could have coralled him into shallow water I coulda bear slapped him out and then had my way with Him but in his own element He was quite fearsome.
Lots of rusty crayfish in the lakes in North Jersey. They actually leave the lake and walk around on dry land, which freaks people out. I've found them 500 yds from the nearest lake!!!
I've seen them in the transition zone between the outer and inner coastal plain, but never in the core barrens.
T
Toothy Critter
Guest
They are in the Pines Crayfish can tolerate the acidic waters and like catfish can survive droughts by burrowing into the ground. Hard to find unless you are willing to pick up submerged trees.
Might be worth looking at night.I almost always find them in the mountains under rocks so I bet anything their nocturnal.I have seen very few not under cover in the day time.
One exception being the monster in Laurel Lake
One exception being the monster in Laurel Lake
As kids we used to find at least a few every year (mid "60's into the mid "90's). Our house was at the end of a cove on Taunton Lake (edge of the pines). Every spring the lake was lowered to do repairs and remove the "muck" around the docks, and we would uncover a few of them and send them on their way in the channel. They were always a curiosity.
Incidentally, we never found any when the lake was "up".... and we found just about everything there was to find.
The last one I found at Taunton was about 12 or 15 years ago. I believe I took a photo of it with my Motorola flip phone, so that's probably gone forever.
Incidentally, we never found any when the lake was "up".... and we found just about everything there was to find.
The last one I found at Taunton was about 12 or 15 years ago. I believe I took a photo of it with my Motorola flip phone, so that's probably gone forever.