> Are there crayfish there?
I don't know about the impoundments I have in mind, but some of
the close-by ponds sure do have 'em!
> Crayfish burrows provide refugia from dessication for a variety of animals
> including: bluefin killifish, pirate perch, pygmy sunfish, tadpole madtoms,
> and high densities of some invertebrates like ostracods. Aquatic animals are
> believed to survive in them as long as 3-4 months.
I'm talking about really dry conditions, just cracked-up mud on
the impoundment bottoms, not moist mud. You're saying crayfish
and other fish can tolerate that? If so, I'm ... totally amazed. :-)
> This is a real phenomenon, but unfortunately not very well-studied.
>
> In Florida, I would sometimes see adult golden topminnow and flagfish
> miraculously appear in newly-flooded, but apparently isolated wetlands.
> Now, I would look for crayfish burrows.
Really neat. If you find any published studies, do let me know.
Meanwhile, I'll mention this to the refuge biologist.
cheers,
shireen
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