Meet the Misfortunate and Okanagan Crayfish

Scientists have identified two new species of crayfish in the Pacific Northwest: the Misfortunate Crayfish (found in Oregon) and the Okanagan Crayfish (found in British Columbia and Washington). Using genomic analysis, they split what was previously considered a single species, the Signal Crayfish, into three distinct lineages. The Misfortunate Crayfish is facing a severe threat from invasive crayfish, making its conservation a high priority, while the Okanagan Crayfish faces a slower but similar challenge.

Read the full article at https://www.paperleap.com/blog/articles/meet-the-misfortunate-and-okanagan-crayfish-0cccue

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the paper Leap podcast, where science takes the mic.
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(00:22):
to subscribe so you never miss an insight. All the
content is also available on paper leap dot com. Okay, ready,
let's start. People living in the Pacific Northwest area of
the United States can find crayfish pretty much everywhere, in rivers, lakes,
and of course, on their dinner plates. These freshwater crustaceans,

(00:46):
often described as miniature lobsters, are both beloved and reviled,
beloved as food and part of local traditions, and reviled
when they become aggressive invaders in places they don't belong.
For decades, one species, in particular, the signal crayfish, or
a Pacifasticus lineosculus, has been a star of this story.

(01:10):
Native to rivers and lakes in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia,
the signal crayfish was long thought to be a single
widespread species, but a team of scientists has now cracked
open its genetic code and history to reveal something surprising.
What we've been calling one species is actually three different ones.

(01:34):
In fact, a group of researchers officially introduced the world
to two new members of the crayfish family tree, the
misfortunate crayfish or Pacifasticus malhorensis of Oregon and the Okanagan
crayfish or Pacifasticus okanaganensis, of British Columbia and Washington. At

(01:55):
first glance, splitting one crayfish into three species might seem
like scientific hair splitting, but these taxonomic updates matter a lot,
especially for conservation. Imagine trying to protect a forest without
realizing that two endangered bird species are hidden inside which

(02:15):
you thought was just one. Conservation policies depend on correctly
identifying species. If the misfortunate crayfish were still lumped together
with the widespread and common signal crayfish, its perilous decline
would remain invisible. Now, with a name and a scientific description,
it can be assessed for official protection. It also changes

(02:39):
the way we understand the ecological story of the Pacific. Northwest.
Crayfish are ecosystem engineers moving sediment, eating plants and animals,
and serving as food for fish, birds, and mammals. Losing
one species can ripple outward in surprising ways. The discovery,
published in the journal Zootoxa, didn't come from simply looking

(03:03):
at crayfish under a microscope. These creatures are tricky, similar
enough in appearance that even experienced biologists can mistake one
for another. Instead, the team turned to a method called
genome skimming. Think of it like skimming a long novel
to catch the most important plot points. You don't read
every page in detail, but you pick up enough to

(03:26):
know who the main characters are and how they relate.
In this case, the plot was written in DNA and
the characters were crayfish lineages. The scientists sequenced chunks of
mitochondrial DNA, the genetic material passed down from mothers, and
a few highly repetitive nuclear genes. By comparing these genetic

(03:48):
patterns across different populations, they built a family tree. The
results were crystal clear. Two groups that had been lumped
in with the signal crayfish were in fact as distinct
as recognized crayfish species elsewhere in the world. Meet the
misfortunate crayfish, The first of these newly recognized species, lives

(04:10):
in the John Day River watershed and surrounding streams in
central and eastern Oregon. It also sneaks over a watershed
divide into the Harni Basin, where rivers eventually vanish into
the salt water of Malheur Lake. The scientists named it
Pasifasticus Malhorensis after this region. The name carries a bit

(04:31):
of a pun. Malheur means misfortune in French, and unfortunately,
misfortune is exactly what this crayfish faces. Its rivers are
under siege from an aggressive outsider, the rusty crayfish or
Facsonius rusticus, a species native to the Midwest that has

(04:51):
spread rapidly in Oregon. Rusty crayfish are bigger, bolder, and
more destructive, often out come heating or outright displacing native crayfish.
The misfortunate crayfish has already been pushed out of much
of its home range and may now qualify as globally endangered.

(05:12):
What about the Okanagan crayfish north of the US Canada border.
The second new species makes its home in the lakes
and streams of South central British Columbia and north central Washington.
It was christened Pasifasticus okanaganansus after the Okanagan Valley, a
region better known for its vineyards and summer tourism than

(05:33):
for its crayfish. Unlike its Oregon cousin, the Okanagan crayfish
isn't yet facing the full brunt of the rusty crayfish invasion,
but it does share its waters with another non native competitor,
the rural crayfish or Facsonius virillus, which is slowly expanding
across the region. For now, the Okanagan crayfish appears a

(05:55):
bit more secure, but scientists are keeping a close watch.
This isn't the first time scientists have puzzled over the
signal crayfish. Back in the nineteen sixties, biologists argued over
whether different populations represented subspecies. Over time, those distinctions faded,
partly because invasive populations in Europe and Asia seemed relatively uniform,

(06:20):
But in the crayfish's native range, where evolution had more
time and space to work, hidden diversity persisted. By the
twenty tens, genetic studies were already hinting that there were
more species hiding inside the signal crayfish label. The twenty
twenty five paper finally put the pieces together. Naming new

(06:40):
species is only the first step. For the Misfortunate crayfish
in particular, conservation is urgent. The researchers recommend classifying it
as imperiled in Oregon and likely globally endangered. Protecting it
will mean preventing further spread of invasive crayfish and safeguarding
isolated river populations. For the Okanagan crayfish, the challenge will

(07:04):
be staying ahead of creeping invaders before they dominate the
region's lakes. The Misfortunate and Okanagan crayfish are part of
a long lineage stretching back millions of years in the
Pacific Northwest. With care, they could still be part of
its rivers and lakes for centuries to come, but only
if we act with foresight and respect for the fragile

(07:27):
communities we share our waters with. That's it for this
episode of the paper Leap podcast. If you found it
thought provoking, fascinating, or just informative, share it with the
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(07:48):
the podcast. We've got plenty more discoveries to unpack until
next time. Keep questioning, keep learning,