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71 INTRODUCED CRAYFISHES Introduced crayfishes are those that are not native but have been found in the state. Nonnative crayfishes are native to some portion of North America but not to Nebraska. Exotic crayfishes are not native to North America. To date, no exotic crayfishes have been found in Nebraska. Three nonnative crayfishes have been found in the state. These are the Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), the Red Swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and the White River crayfish (Procambarus acutus). The White River crayfish were found in a bait dealer's tanks in North Platte in 1995(?). It has not been found since then and it has not been found in the wild. At this time it is presumed to have been in isolated bait importation that did not get established in the wild. The Red Swamp crayfish was also found in a bait dealer's tanks, this time on the Missouri River near Gavins Point Dam in 2014. In this case it is known that some were released into the Missouri River in that area. As of 2016, they have been confirmed to be in the Missouri River and Lake Yankton below Gavins Point Dam. The Rusty crayfish was found in a bait dealer's tanks in Omaha in 2006. Subsequently, established populations have been found in two Omaha area lakes and the Missouri River. One was Benson Park Lagoon in 2007 and the second was in the Lakeside Association Lake in 2010. A healthy (?) population is now also found in the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam. In 2015, a survey of the bait vendors of the state was conducted but the results have not been reported as yet. I have produced species accounts for each of the three crayfishes named above. The White River crayfish does not have a distribution map as this is the only one that is not known to be established. The purpose of the accounts is to acquaint you, the reader, with what these crayfishes look like. I should note also that there are over 400 species of crayfish in North America and any of these could be imported. So, if you have a crayfish in hand and it just doesn't quite fit any of the descriptions in this guide, it could be something totally new. In any case, you can be prepared when you report these to your local Game Warden, the nearest office of the Game and Parks Commission or the Nebraska Invasive Species Program website.