FWS Focus

Overview

The Big Sandy crayfish is a freshwater crustacean found in streams and rivers in the Appalachian Region of Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. We have been working with state partners to determine where this dynamic creature is found, and whether it is in danger of extinction. In May 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Big Sandy crayfish as a threatened species, protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Scientific Name

Cambarus callainus
Common Name
Big Sandy crayfish
FWS Category
Crustaceans
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Geography

Launch Interactive Map

Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

10 Items

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

Notice

Listing

Critical Habitat

Five Year Review

Critical Habitat

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Listing

Nov 21, 1991

Nov 21, 1991 Listing
ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; 56 FR 58804 58836
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 1

Listing

Nov 15, 1994

Nov 15, 1994 Listing
ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species.
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 2

Listing

Sep 27, 2011

Sep 27, 2011 Listing (Substantial)
Partial 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List 404 Species in the Southeastern United States as Endang…
  • Publication type: 90 day petition finding
Item 3

Listing

Apr 7, 2015

Apr 7, 2015 Listing (Endangered)
Endangered Species Status for the Big Sandy Crayfish and the Guyandotte River Crayfish; Proposed rul…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 4

Listing

Apr 7, 2015

Apr 7, 2015 Listing (Warranted)
Endangered Species Status for the Big Sandy Crayfish and the Guyandotte River Crayfish; Proposed rul…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 5

Notice

Dec 15, 2015

Dec 15, 2015 Notice
Endangered Species Status for the Big Sandy Crayfish and the Guyandotte River Crayfish; Proposed rul…
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
Item 6

Listing

Apr 7, 2016

Apr 7, 2016 Listing (Threatened)
Threatened Species Status for the Big Sandy Crayfish and Endangered Species Status for the Guyandott…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 7

Critical Habitat

Jan 28, 2020

Jan 28, 2020 Critical Habitat
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Big Sandy Cra…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 8

Five Year Review

Oct 13, 2020

Oct 13, 2020 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 10 Northeastern Species
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 9

Critical Habitat

Mar 15, 2022

Mar 15, 2022 Critical Habitat
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Big Sandy Crayfis…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 10