Necturus lewisi Study: Introduction 9 



stansana, included the Tar River from Nash to Pitt counties. Today it is 

 known from a 12-mile section of the river in Edgecombe County, with a 

 total estimated population of 100 to 500, and is being considered by the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for listing as an Endangered species 

 (Federal Register 49(1 8 1):3641 8-36420; 17 September 1984). Close rela- 

 tives of the Tar River Spiny Mussel occur in the James River basin of 

 Virginia and the Altamaha River basin of Georgia. 



The Neuse River population of Carunculina pulla (Conrad), the 

 Savannah Shoremussel, may have been extirpated, and declines in its 

 populations elsewhere have been noted. Fuller considered it Endangered 

 in North Carolina. A third mussel considered Endangered by Fuller was 

 Prolasmidonta heterodon (Lea), the Ancient Floater. Although known 

 from a number of river systems, including the Neuse and Tar, Fuller 

 noted (p. 169) that it was "one of the most rare, elusive, and vulnerable 

 mollusks in the state and the nation." He also recognized "Lampsilis" 

 ochracea (Say), the Tidewater Mucket, as a mussel of Special Concern. 

 One known site of occurrence was the Tar River near Pinetops, Edge- 

 combe County. 



Crustaceans 



The decapod crustacean fauna of the Neuse and Tar rivers is com- 

 paratively rich (both in species and biomass), and probably identical, 

 with both systems housing at least eight crayfish species and a fresh- 

 water palaemonid shrimp (listed below). The crayfishes include two 

 endemic species (indicated in the list by asterisk), one of which is an 

 Orconectes that appears to be undescribed. 



Cambaridae 



Cambarus (Depressicambarus) latimanus (LeConte) 

 Cambarus (Depressicambarus) reduncus Hobbs 

 Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) diogenes diogenes Girard 

 Cambarus (Puncticambarus) acuminatus Faxon (sensu lato) 

 Fallicambarus (Creaserinus) uhleri Faxon 

 * Orconectes sp. A (Cooper and Cooper 1977:199) 

 Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus acutus (Girard) 

 * Procambarus (Ortmannicus) medialis Hobbs 



Palaemonidae 



Palaemonetes paludosus (Gibbes) 



Cambarus (D.) reduncus is limited to the Piedmont Plateau. Cam- 

 barus (D.) latimanus, C. (P.) "acuminatus, " and C. (L.) d. diogenes are 

 abundant throughout both rivers, with diogenes (an active burrower) 

 the "rarer" of the three. Orconectes sp. A appears to occur throughout 

 the Tar River basin, from Granville to Pitt counties, but has not yet 



