The second known stygomorphic freshwater crab from China, Phasmon typhlops gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Potamidae), diverged at the beginning of the Late Miocene

By

Huang, Chao
Ahyong, Shane T.
Shih, Hsi-Te

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1008

Pages

1--15

Subjects

16S rDNA , blind crab , cave crab , Guangxi , new genus , new species , subterranean

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1008.58854

 

Abstract

A new genus and new species of blind freshwater cave crab are described from Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China based on morphology and mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. The new genus,Phasmongen. nov., is established forP. typhlopssp. nov., which is only the second blind cave crab known from China and East Asia. The combination of a very wide carapace, overall depigmentation, reduced orbits and vestigial unpigmented eyes ofPhasmonimmediately separates it from all known potamid genera. Molecular divergence estimates based on 16S rDNA suggest that the lineage to which the new genus belongs diverged from other potamids at the beginning of the Late Miocene (10.8 million years ago), much earlier than other Chinese cave crabs.