Procambarus natchitochae
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| Procambarus natchitochae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Family: | Cambaridae |
| Genus: | Procambarus |
| Species: | P. natchitochae |
| Binomial name | |
| Procambarus natchitochae Penn, 1953[2] | |
 | |
Procambarus natchitochae, the Red River crayfish, is a crayfish native to the Red River basin and Bayou Teche in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.[3] Its distribution is given by the IUCN here, whereas a slightly different Louisiana map is provided in the "Crawfishes of Louisiana", which excludes Bayou Teche [3][4] P. natchitochae has a distribution of approximately 46,000 km2.[4]
An individual crayfish can be identified to a group of a few species within the genus and subgenus Procambarus (Pennides) by looking at a few distinguishing characteristics. Two pairs of cervical spines, a broadly open areola, and lateral rostral spines are diagnostic physical features that characterize P. natchitochae, P. vioscai, P. dupratzi, and P. pentastylus from other species of crayfish.[3] Color is not always a reliable characteristic in identification, but P. natchitochae (and the three other species above) generally have a dark brown saddle on the posterior part of the carapace and dark lateral stripes on the abdomen.[3] Form I male gonopod characteristics or collection location are required for species level identification.[3]