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Biologists battle over North America's largest crayfish
Phys.org • • science
Key Points:
- Caitlin Bloomer, a teaching assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, initially believed she had caught the largest crayfish ever during a survey in Kentucky, but further investigation revealed larger specimens exist.
- A Tennessee bottlebrush crayfish, housed at West Liberty University, holds the record for the largest North American crayfish at 86.6 millimeters (3.4 inches) in carapace length, surpassing Bloomer's find.
- The study identified 20 large crayfish across 18 species, with collections from the Illinois Natural History Survey and Smithsonian Institution featuring prominently among the largest specimens.
- Researchers found that North American crayfish tend to max out around 80 millimeters in size, with no clear link to environmental factors, suggesting physiological constraints may limit their growth.
- The findings underscore how much remains unknown about common species like crayfish and highlight the value of museum collections for advancing biological research.
