Edited by davidjh2, 21 November 2012 - 04:08 PM.
Odd looking bulges on shell
Started by
Guest_davidjh2_*
, Nov 21 2012 04:07 PM
5 replies to this topic
#1 Guest_davidjh2_*
Posted 21 November 2012 - 04:07 PM
I noticed last year and this year that when I caught crayfish out of a spring fed stream up in northern NJ some of the crayfish had odd bulges on their shells. Other crayfish caught in different streams but in the same area maybe 4 miles away were normal looking. These are all Cambarus bartoni. The first 2 pictures are from a stream I sample down in the central part of Nj. and the last 2 are from the spring fed stream. Could it be parasites?
#2 Guest_Irate Mormon_*
Posted 22 November 2012 - 12:17 AM
You should dissect one and let us know...
#3 Guest_Skipjack_*
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:41 AM
Lifting weights? The last one appears to have huge Lats.
I would cut one open, I once found a wolf spider with a very distended abdomen. Inside, after much unraveling was a 24 inch horsehair worm.
Or could it be damage during the softshell stage though it looks awfully symmetrical for damage, or parasites.
I would cut one open, I once found a wolf spider with a very distended abdomen. Inside, after much unraveling was a 24 inch horsehair worm.
Or could it be damage during the softshell stage though it looks awfully symmetrical for damage, or parasites.
#4 Guest_ashtonmj_*
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:35 AM
Where are these bulges? Are you sure you don't have C. acuminatus? Edges of those rostrum look pretty thick.
#5 Guest_davidjh2_*
Posted 22 November 2012 - 12:14 PM
Where are these bulges? Are you sure you don't have C. acuminatus? Edges of those rostrum look pretty thick.
Look at the lighter patches on the last 2 crayfish. I have never seen them on any other C.bartoni. I wish they were another species of crayfish but the only Cambarus known to live in NJ are bartoni and diogenes.
One of the main reason I'm not a biologist is that I don't like cutting things open so a dissection isn't likely
#6 Guest_gerald_*
Posted 23 November 2012 - 11:07 AM
I'm with Matt -- looks like well-fed crays with bulging muscles on the verge of shedding.
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