Faxonius immunis
(Hagen, 1870)
Common Name:
Calico crayfish
Synonyms and Other Names:
Orconectes immunis (Hagen, 1870), Paper shell crayfish (Smith 2013). Faxonius immunis underwent a reclassification in August 2017, changing the genus of non-cave dwelling Orconectes to Faxonius (Crandall and De Grave 2017).
Identification:
The calico crayfish is a plain, grey-green species characterized by a pale zone in the middle of the carapace and abdomen. Their chelipeds (pincers) have orange tips, with the exception of male chelipids that usually display a pale purple tint as breeding regalia (Smith 2013).
Size:
1.7 - 3.5 inches total length (Pflieger, 1987)
Native Range:
Lakes Erie, Ontario, Huron, and Southern Lake Michigan, lower Ohio, and upper Mississippi drainages. Massachusetts to Wyoming and Alabama to Ontario, Canada (Hobbs, 1974). This species extends as far east as Maine and Connecticut, and as far west as eastern Colorado and Wyoming. It's northermost range includes southern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec; It's southermost range extends to Kentucky (Adams et al. 2010).
Great Lakes Nonindigenous Occurrences:
Collected at fish Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin (Threinen, 1982)
Table 1. Great Lakes region nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state/province, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Faxonius immunis are found here.
Full list of USGS occurrences
Table last updated 5/2/2024
† Populations may not be currently present.
Ecology:
Found in shallow ditches and sloughs of medium to large rivers with plenty of aquatic plants and plant debris for cover; mud bottoms with stagnant water; can tolerate high turbidity; a burrower that will move from pond to pond. They are considered a generalist species with a broad ecological niche, however they are not able to colonise fast flowing streams (Adams et al., 2010). Breeding occurs in late summer in New York and eggs are laid in the spring (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2015).
Means of Introduction:
Sold as bait; probable bait bucket introduction (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2015). Outside the United states, introduction is unclear; Schrimpf et al. (2013) suggests this species has spread via pet trades as well as bait bucket releases.
Status:
Unknown.
Great Lakes Impacts:
Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...
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Faxonius immunis has moderate environmental impact in the Great Lakes outside of its native range. Faxonius immunis are a known carrier of the crayfish plague; Schrimpf et al. (2013), found that F. immunis were able to spread crayfish plague to other species of crayfish co-existing with them. They are also considered a strong competitor; in a laboratory study, they were found to be dominant over size matched Faxonius limosus. Despite little information on F. immunis as an invasive species, Chucholl (2012) claimed that they had high potential effects on native biota and ecosystems because of their omnivorous diet, extensive burrowing, and high abundance. They were found to be a superior competitor to other species outside of their native range; in the Rhine river they had higher shelter occupancy than F. limosus which contributed to a decline in F. limosus populations (Chucholl et al. 2008).
There is little or no evidence to support that Faxonius immunis has the potential for significant socio-economic impacts in the Great Lakes outside of its native range
Burrowing and consumption of macrophytes could potentially have an effect on water quality or the perceived aesthetic of the water they inhabit at high abundance (Chucholl, 2012).
Faxonius immunis has the moderate beneficial impacts in the Great Lakes outside of its native range
F. imunis are widely used as bait for fishing. Because of this they are cultivated and harvested from the wild for use as bait (Taylor et al., 2005). However, the economic contribution from this activity is relatively small.
Management:
Regulations (pertaining to the Great Lakes region)
There are no regulations specific to this species in the Great Lakes Region. However, Pennsylvania restricts the sale, possession, introduction and transportation of all crayfish species; Wisconsin prohibits all non-native crayfish; and Minnesota prohibits the importation of all crayfish into the state. Note: Check federal, state/provincial, and local regulations for the most up-to-date information Control
Biological
A University of Wisconsin study observed significant declines in an invasive crayfish population when the WI Department of Natural Resources restricted the harvest of known crayfish predators (Hein et al. 2007).
Physical
Intensive trapping is a common method used to control crayfish (Moorhouse et al., 2014; Peay and Hiley, 2001). While intensive trapping can be used to substantially reduce crayfish abundance, it has not been found to completely eradicate established crayfish populations (Hein et al. 2007).
Chemical
Cypermethrin is a commonly used piscicide for crayfish control (Hyatt, 2004).
Other
There are no known other control methods for this species
References
(click for full reference list)
Author:
Hosabettu, M. and W.M. Daniel
Contributing Agencies:
Revision Date:
3/20/2024
Citation for this information:
Hosabettu, M. and W.M. Daniel, 2024, Faxonius immunis (Hagen, 1870): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, and NOAA Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System, Ann Arbor, MI, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/greatLakes/FactSheet.aspx?Species_ID=210&Potential=N&Type=0&HUCNumber=DGreatLakes, Revision Date: 3/20/2024, Access Date: 5/2/2024
This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.