Description of a new montane freshwater crab (Arthropoda, Malacostraca, Decapoda, Potamonautidae) from the Eastern Cape, South Africa

By

Peer, Nasreen
Gouws, Gavin
Maliwa, Lazola
Barker, Nigel P.
Juby, Paul
Perissinotto, Renzo

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1160

Pages

89--108

Subjects

Afrotropical region , Brachyura , high altitude streams , molecular analyses , Morphology , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1160.100844

 

Abstract

A new species of freshwater crab, Potamonautes amatholesp. nov., is described from the Winterberg-Amathole mountain range in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Morphologically, P. amathole Peer & Gouws, sp. nov. most closely resembles P. tuerkayi but can be distinguished by key morphological characters including the variation in the shape of the subterminal segment of gonopod 2 between both species. Genetically, P. amathole Peer & Gouws, sp. nov. is placed within the clade of small-bodied, mountain-dwelling crabs including P. parvispina, P. parvicorpus, P. brincki, P. tuerkayi, P. baziya, and P. depressus. The new species is found in slow-moving mountain streams and pools at high altitudes. The continued discovery and description of new freshwater crab species reinforces the need for ongoing research, especially in under-sampled regions.