Faxonius

Faxonius palmeri (formerly Orconectes palmeri)



Gray-Speckled Crayfish


Description: The gray-speckled crayfish is gray or grayish-tan with numerous greenish-black speckles and blotches on the pincers, carapace, and abdomen. A pair of large blotches are present near the back of the head, and another pair occur near the junction of the carapace and abdomen. The fingers often have conspicuous cream-yellow tips. The carapace is not separated at its middle by a space (areola). The gray-speckled crayfish is the only common Faxonius in the southeastern lowlands. Other typical crayfish of the region have longer, more slender pincers, and none have the pattern of dark paired blotches described above.

Life Cycle: Most adults molt in late summer through fall, after which males are in breeding condition. The breeding season continues through spring. In about March or April, males revert to the nonbreeding condition, and females produce eggs. Egg-carrying females hide in areas of deep debris or beneath rocks. The young do not become completely independent of the female until after their third molt. Some can reach adult size by August; others overwinter as juveniles and mature the following spring.

Sources: MDOC