Crayfishes, Shrimps and Crabs of New York's Inland Waters
Table of Contents
	Conservation	References

RESEARCH NEEDS

Hand-colored lithograph of a marsh grass shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris) from DeKay 1843

Factors that affect the distribution and abundance of the decapods in the state are difficult to identify and are largely unknown. As is true for all organisms, crayfish distribution is affected by the individual habitat requirements of each species (e.g. Daniels 1998) and the ability of each species to disperse naturally. However, with widespread introductions of new exotic forms and human-aided dispersal of native and exotic species in the state to new areas, no semblance of a native assemblage exists anymore within the state. Since crayfish are a popular bait item, other extralimital species should be expected to establish themselves in the future.

Much remains to be learned about the distribution and ecology of the decapods of New York. Even something as basic as the species list is unstable, with additions occurring in each of the last five years. Increased survey work will, of course, strengthen the authority of the species list, provide valuable information on abundance, and provide a more complete picture of the range of each species. The surveys should also focus on habitat use, since little is currently known. Because of the large number of exotic species in the state, careful monitoring of changes in population size would provide valuable and timely information on the effect of exotic species on biodiversity. The native status of populations should be examined using molecular techniques. Finally, the security of populations of rare species needs to be reviewed and precautions taken.

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