Orconectes limosus. Faxonius limosus underwent a reclassification in August 2017, changing the genus of non-cave dwelling Orconectes to Faxonius (Crandall and De Grave 2017).

Widespread in North America, found in the Atlantic Watershed in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia in the United States and New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada (USFWS, 2015)

    Potential pathway(s) of introduction: Dispersal.
    Faxonius limosus are native to the eastern United states with some of their native range connected to the Great Lakes basin. However, they have not been reported outside of their native range in North America (FWS, 2015).
    Spiny Cheek crayfish are also listed as a popular species for bait, fish food, and aquaria (FWS, 2015). However, they are not commonly sold at aquarium, pet, or garden stores in the Great Lakes region.

Faxonius limosus has a moderate probability of establishment if introduced to the Great Lakes (Confidence level: High).
    F. limosus is a highly fecund species capable of parthenogenesis (Buric et. al., 2011). Given that they are native to North America at similar latitudes to the Great Lakes region, they are likely to successfully overwinter. F. limosus habitat consists of slow moving creeks and streams, ponds, as well as the littoral zones of large lakes (Aldridge, 2011) (Hirsch and Fisher, 2008); this habitat is broadly distributed and widely available in the Great Lakes Region. Spiny Cheek Crayfish have a broadly distributed nonindigenous population in Europe, which has a history of spreading rapidly (Pârvulescu et al., 2012). However, Adams et al., (2010) note that their spread and establishment might have been aided by declining populations of native crayfish due to the introduction of Crayfish Plague.

Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...

Environmental	Socioeconomic

There is little or no evidence to support that Faxonius limosus has the potential for significant socio-economic impacts if introduced to the Great Lakes.

    Faxonius limosus construct burrows called chimneys, at high density these burrows might decrease the perceived aesthetic of the waters they inhabit or destabilize river banks (Aldridge, 2011). However, this has not been reported in their current distribution. They do not pose any known hazard to human health. Spiny Cheeked Crayfish have not been reported to negatively affect water quality, economic sectors, or recreational activity.

There is little or no evidence to support that Faxonius limosus has the potential for significant beneficial impacts if introduced to the Great Lakes.

    Faxonius limosus do not act as a control agent for aquatic weeds or other non-indigenous organisms. They are a popular source of bait and fish food, however not to the extent required to have an economic impact on the region. They do not present any recreational value. Spiny cheek Crayfish are not an important species for medicine or research. They are not reported to remove toxins or pollutants from the water or have any other known positive ecological impact.

    Control
    Biological
    The Wisconsin department of natural resources found that restricting the harvest of known crayfish predators caused a significant decline in invasive crayfish populations (Hein et al., 2007).

   
    Physical
    Intensive trapping is a common method used to control crayfish (Reeve, 2004; Moorhouse et al., 2013; Peay, 2001) .
   
    Chemical
    Cypermethrin is a commonly used piscicide for crayfish control (Hyatt, 2004).
   
    Other
    There are no known other control methods for this species