BLIND ANIMALS IN CUBA 
291 
geologists claim, western Cuba has been deeply submerged, it 
seems equally certain that it must have been subsequently 
joined to Central America. As Professor Eigenmann* re¬ 
marks, this Cuban fauna has greater affinity with that of 
Mexico than with that of Florida, showing that the fishes 
probably reached Cuba by way of Yucatan. 
Western Cuba possesses, among other curiosities, blind 
crustaceans (Palaemonetes). They are what we might call 
monster prawns, and have probably had marine ancestors. 
An allied species is known from the subterranean waters of 
Texas. Faunistically they are not of great importance. Not 
so, however, the fresh-water crayfishes, which are justly 
regarded by Dr. Ortmann f as among the most valuable means 
for demonstrating former changes of land and water. All the 
species of Cambarus but one inhabit either Mexico or the 
United States. Only a single crayfish occurs in the isolated 
position of Cuba. This species (C. cubensis) is closely related 
to Cambarus mexicanus, whereas the United States species are 
more distant relatives. Dr. Ortmann assumes on that 
account a former land connection between Mexico and Cuba. 
The fresh-water crabs, as I already indicated, advanced 
northward from the south, eventually invading the Central 
American territory and the West Indies. Thus three species 
of Pseudothelphusa have been discovered in Cuba. One of 
these (P. americana) ranges from Mexico through Cuba to 
Haiti. Another (P. terrestris) is confined to Mexico and 
Cuba, while a third (P. affinis) is restricted to Cuba. More¬ 
over the genus Epilobocera is peculiar to the Greater 
Antilles, viz., Cuba, Haiti and Portorico, and some smaller 
neighbouring islands. A species of Pseudothelphusa closely 
allied to a Venezuelan form is likewise known from some of 
the Lesser Antilles. 
From these facts Dr. Ortmann (pp. 344—347) concludes 
that the first immigration of fresh-water decapods represented 
by Epilobocera, into the Greater Antilles, belongs to the end 
of the Cretaceous or the beginning of the Tertiary era. 
Cambarus cubensis, he suggests, possibly belongs to it also. 
* Eigenmann, C. H., “ Freshwater Fishes of Cuba,” pp. 220—221. 
t Ortmann, A. E., “Distribution of Freshwater Decapods,” p. 315. 
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