First record of leucism in a primary burrowing crayfish: Distocambarus crockeri Hobbs & Carlson, 1983 (Decapoda: Astacidea: Cambaridae) from South Carolina, USA

Abstract

The piedmont prairie burrowing crayfish, Distocambarus crockeri Hobbs & Carlson, 1983, is a primary burrowing crayfish endemic to South Carolina, USA. The species is the most widely distributed and studied of the five species of Distocambarus Hobbs, 1981. Surveys have clarified the species distribution and habitat, but, like other burrowing crayfishes, our understanding of its ecology is lacking. We report the discovery of two leucistic specimens of D. crockeri collected in an ephemeral pool in a roadside ditch on 14 March 2022 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. To the best of our knowledge, our discovery represents the first documented case of leucism in a primary burrowing crayfish. We discuss the significance of this observation in relation to other recorded observations of color anomalies throughout crayfishes as well as potential environmental causes of leucism.