Crayfish are the largest aquatic invertebrates in most freshwater ecosystems. They play a pivotal role in aquatic ecosystems as predators, prey, grazers, decomposes etc. However, crayfish ecology, conservation and taxonomy are poorly documented, despite the extreme diversity of crayfish in southeastern United States. We work on the ecology, taxonomy and conservation of freshwater crayfish focusing on crayfish in Virginia. We also collaborate with several astacologists to find and describe new crayfish species using morphometric and molecular tools.
Digger crayfish (Creaserinus sp. nov.): A Central Virginia crayfish with questionable taxonomic status (Photo: Sujan Henkanaththegedara)