Orconectes (Rhoadesius) sloanii (Bundy 1876)

Simon, Thomas P., Morris, Charles C., Robb, Joseph R. & McCoy, William, 2015, Biological Diversity, Ecological Health and Condition of Aquatic Assemblages at National Wildlife Refuges in Southern Indiana, USA, Biodiversity Data Journal 3, pp. 4300-4300 : 4300

Orconectes (Rhoadesius) sloanii (Bundy 1876)

Distribution

Muscatatuck NWR: 5, 6, 10, 13-15, 20

Big Oaks NWR: 5, 7-13, 15, 16, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32

Extensive survey of southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana documented the distribution and status of Sloan’s crayfish. Closer inspection of St John's (1988) distribution maps show that areas included within the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge were represented by only Sloan’s crayfish and did not possess the invasive rusty crayfish. Our sampling results found similar results as St. John (1988).

Ecology

Sloan’s crayfish was collected at 76.5% of the sites in the Big Oaks refuge. Relative abundance averaged 13.6 individuals per site. Mean density of Sloan’s crayfish was 0.272 individuals per square meter. Sloan’s crayfish was collected at 36.8% of the sites on the Muscatatuck refuge. Relative abundance averaged 9.14 individuals per site. Mean density of Sloan’s crayfish was 0.182 individuals per square meter.

Conservation

Sloan’s crayfish ( Orconectes sloanii ) is a species of special interest to US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, which has experienced intensive invasion threats from the rusty crayfish ( Orconectes rusticus Girard 1852). Nutrient impacts are pervasive throughout the Vernon Fork watershed. The Muscatatuck NWR receives runoff drainage through Sandy Branch and Mutton Creek from the City of Seymour, Indiana, and from high density residential land uses.

Sloan’s crayfish is stable and has a relatively high relative abundance in the Big Oaks and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuges. No instances of rusty crayfish were observed in either of the refuges (Table 4).