Cambarus bartonii is a species of crayfish native to eastern North America, where it is called the common crayfish[3] or Appalachian brook crayfish.[2]
Cambarus bartonii was the first crayfish to be described from North America, when Johan Christian Fabricius published it under the name Astacus bartonii in his 1798 work Supplementum entomologiae systematicae.[4] The locality where his specimen was captured is not known, but is thought to be near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[3]
Colouration is usually plain dark brown, although mottling is occasionally seen, as is a saddle-shaped marking.[6]
Several subspecies of C. bartonii have been recognised, but it is unclear how advisable this is, and work is ongoing to determine patterns of infraspecific variation.[7]