Recent Range Records of Crayfish (Faxonius) From Far North Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The Far North region of Ontario, Canada, is a wilderness area comprising 451,808 square kilometers of intact boreal forest and wetlands. Until the work presented here the most recent extensive survey for crayfish in the Far North region of Ontario was conducted in 1963. We sampled 81 locations across the Far North region of northern Ontario and the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada from 2009 to 2014 catching 96 specimens from 2 species: Faxonius virilis (Hagen) (92) and Faxonius propinquus (Girard) (4) These records define the northern boundary of freshwater crayfish. Unlike much of North America, species records were consistent with surveys conducted over 55 years ago. The Far North region of Ontario is facing proposed development at a scale not seen before, and our records provide necessary baseline data for ecosystem and wildlife monitoring, understanding potential future impacts, and to support sustainable resource management.