Researchers identify Tennessee bottlebrush crayfish as North America largest specimen
A team of biologists and museum curators has identified a Tennessee bottlebrush crayfish as the largest recorded in North America after reviewing collections across the country.
Initial discovery prompts wider search
Caitlin Bloomer caught a massive Crawzilla crawdad during a survey in Kentucky and believed it was the biggest ever seen. She brought the specimen to her colleague at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who immediately disputed that claim. The two colleagues then enlisted other experts to inventory museum collections for larger specimens.
Top twenty list published in journal
The group used precise measuring tools called calipers to identify 20 individuals across 18 species that exceeded the size of Bloomer's catch. They published these rankings in the journal Ecology after completing their inventory work. Bloomer noted her Kentucky find was the only burrowing crayfish to make the final list.
Tennessee specimen takes top spot
The true winner turned out to be a Tennessee bottlebrush crayfish held in a museum collection. This specific individual surpassed all other candidates measured by the international team of researchers. The study confirms this Tennessee specimen holds the record for North America's largest crayfish.
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