A Noteworthy Range Extension of the Federally Endangered Alabama Cave Shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae) South of the Tennessee River in Northern Alabama

Matthew L. Niemiller^1,*, C. Lael Anderson¹, Eric C. Maxwell¹, Hannah Midgette², Coral Quering¹, Madison Richards¹, Kayla Wilson³, and Nick Wirwa²

¹Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899.²Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Decatur, AL 35603. ³Little Mountain Forest School, Huntsville, AL 35801. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 4 (2025): N47–N58

First published early online: 5 November 2025

Abstract
Palaemonias alabamae (Alabama Cave Shrimp) is an endangered atyid shrimp endemic to subterranean waters of the Tennessee River Valley in and around the Huntsville metropolitan area of northern Alabama where it is known historically from just 7 sites (5 populations). Here we report on the discovery of a new population from Cave Spring Cave in northern Morgan County during a biosurvey of the cave system in February 2025. This discovery represents the sixth population discovered to date and the first occurring on the south side of the Tennessee River Valley. Cave-biosurvey efforts continue to improve our knowledge of Alabama Cave Shrimp distribution and better inform conservation and management efforts.

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