Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Stygobromus hayi (Stygobromus hayi), recorded as Endangered
Stygobromus hayi (Stygobromus hayi). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Stygobromus hayi

Stygobromus hayi

Stygobromus hayi is a crustacean in the family Crangonyctidae (order Amphipoda), recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Stygobromus hayi
Taxonomy
Malacostraca · Amphipoda · Crangonyctidae · Stygobromus

Appearance

Because it lives underground, it is white in color and eyeless.

This amphipod measures 10 millimeters (0.39 in) in length.

Range and habitat

It is endemic to the District of Columbia in the United States, where it occurs only in Rock Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River. One of three amphipods that are found only in the District of Columbia, this species has been called "Washington D.C.'s most famous endemic". Hay's spring amphipod lives in five springs along Rock Creek, occurrences that make up a single population.

It is a federally listed endangered species, is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and as Critically Imperiled by NatureServe.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Habits

Crayfishes and crabs need cover and clean water. A named form from one creek is not interchangeable with the next drainage.

In crisis

This species is threatened by the degradation of its urban habitat. Flooding may destroy individuals and remove the microhabitat they inhabit.

Stygobromus hayi is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Stygobromus hayi, Wikidata item Q3932458. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Stygobromus pecki (Stygobromus pecki), recorded as EndangeredEN

Stygobromus pecki

Stygobromus pecki
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii

Quick answers

What is Stygobromus hayi?
Stygobromus hayi is a crustacean in the family Crangonyctidae (order Amphipoda).
What is the conservation status of Stygobromus hayi?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Stygobromus hayi. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Stygobromus hayi live?
It is endemic to the District of Columbia in the United States, where it occurs only in Rock Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River.
Why is Stygobromus hayi in crisis?
It is a federally listed endangered species, is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and as Critically Imperiled by NatureServe.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Stygobromus hayi?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Stygobromus hayi a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.