279 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE FAUNA OF LAKE TANGANYIKA. 

 CRUSTACEA. 



The crustacean section of the fauna of Lake Tanganyika 

 consists, so far as is at present known, of four conspicuous 

 types. We have in the first place two genera represented 

 by two species of aquatic crabs, PlatythelpJiusa armata 

 and Limnothelplmsa maculata. The first of these was 

 obtained by the French missionaries, and very briefly 

 described several years ago by Milne Edwards in Paris. 

 The second was acquired during the first Tanganyika 

 expedition, being subsequently examined and described 

 by Mr. Cunnington. Besides these crabs, there are 

 two genera of prawns again represented by two single 

 species — namely, Limnocaridina tanganyikce and Palcemon 

 moorei, both obtained also during the first Tanganyika 

 expedition. All these four species are peculiar to Tan- 

 ganyika, and apparently do not occur in any of the 

 other great African lakes. There are besides a number 

 of minute forms present in the lake which are widely 

 dispersed throughout Africa, but since there is nothing 

 remarkable about these, and since they appear to be 



