ABSTRACT

The North American continent has the single most diverse crayfi sh fauna in the world (Crandall and Buhay 2008). Two families (Astacidae and Cambaridae) and 12 genera are found there. Three genera, Cambarus (105 species), Orconectes (98 species), and Procambarus (178 species) house 86% of the approximate 440+ species to be found on the continent, 385 of which are found in Canada and the United States (Appendix A). Given the rate at which new species are being discovered and described one can not give an exact number for recognized species but this author speculates that the fi nal diversity for the continent will total approximately 500 or more species.