Distribution and species diversity of freshwater crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae in Colombia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) (original) (raw)
Related papers
During the last decades, knowledge on biodiversity of freshwater decapods has increased considerably; however, information about ecology of these crustaceans is scarce. Currently, the freshwater decapod fauna of Costa Rica is comprised by representatives of three families (Caridea: Palaemonidae and Atyidae; Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae). The present study aims to describe the species diversity and distribution of freshwater crabs inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica, where the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) plans to implement one of the largest damming projects in the region. Samples were collected in 39 locations at an altitude ranging from 20 to 1,225 m. Sampling was carried out during several months in 2007, 2009 and 2010. We collected a total of 661 crabs, comprising eight species of Pseudothelphusidae of three genera, representing 53% of the 15 pseudothelphusid crab species currently recorded from Costa Rica. The most common species was Ptychophallus paraxanthusi followed by P. tristani. Freshwater crabs were more frequently encountered in the middle-low region of the basin (between 311 and 600 m) and less frequently in the medium-high basin (between 601 and 1,225 m). Ptychophallus paraxanthusi showed the widest distribution and was collected in altitudes ranging from 20 to 700 m. The Rio Grande de Térraba region can be considered as a relatively small, but highly diverse system. Therefore, any alteration of the basin of Rio Grande de Térraba, and especially the possible construction of a hydroelectric power plant, needs to be carefully analyzed to mitigate the damaging effects of this project on the freshwater crabs. More ecological information about freshwater crabs from Costa Rica and the Central American region are needed to reach a first reasonable overview on the ecological role of these decapods in freshwater systems.
Species diversity of freshwater decapod crustaceans (crabs and shrimps) from Colombia
Crustaceana, 2017
The aim of this paper is to characterize the species diversity of freshwater decapod crustaceans (crabs and shrimps) from Colombia by using a dataset containing 964 digitized records and 13 881 specimens collected between 1910 and 2016, information that has been assembled with data from 21 museums and other institutions worldwide. The characterization of species diversity is based on the estimation of relative abundance of species and it is calculated in three separate analyses in which the data were partitioned as follows: (a) by decapod families (six in Colombia) (b) the unpartitioned dataset of all 139 Colombian species and (c) by the five biogeographic regions in the country. In each case, Campos & Isaza’s species diversity index and the Shannon entropy index were calculated. The calculations performed here also allowed the identification of predominant species and those that are least represented in collections and might therefore be at greater risk of extinction.
Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, 2013
During the last decades, knowledge on biodiversity of freshwater decapods has increased considerably; however, information about ecology of these crustaceans is scarce. Currently, the freshwater decapod fauna of Costa Rica is comprised by representatives of three families (Caridea: Palaemonidae and Atyidae; Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae). The present study aims to describe the species diversity and distribution of freshwater crabs inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica, where the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) plans to implement one of the largest damming projects in the region. Samples were collected in 39 locations at an altitude ranging from 20 to 1,225 m. Sampling was carried out during several months in 2007, 2009 and 2010. We collected a total of 661 crabs, comprising eight species of Pseudothelphusidae of three genera, representing 53% of the 15 pseudothelphusid crab species currently recorded from Costa Rica. The most common species was Ptychophallus paraxanthusi followed by P. tristani. Freshwater crabs were more frequently encountered in the middle-low region of the basin (between 311 and 600 m) and less frequently in the medium-high basin (between 601 and 1,225 m). Ptychophallus paraxanthusi showed the widest distribution and was collected in altitudes ranging from 20 to 700 m. The Rio Grande de Térraba region can be considered as a relatively small, but highly diverse system. Therefore, any alteration of the basin of Rio Grande de Térraba, and especially the possible construction of a hydroelectric power plant, needs to be carefully analyzed to mitigate the damaging effects of this project on the freshwater crabs. More ecological information about freshwater crabs from Costa Rica and the Central American region are needed to reach a first reasonable overview on the ecological role of these decapods in freshwater systems.
New species of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae) from Colombia
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington., 1984
Tv^o new species of Pseudothelphusidae are described from Colombia. Strengeriana chaparralensis, n.sp. adds a fifth species to a primitive group of crabs from the Central Cordillera; its gonopod resembles that of its nearest geographic relative, S. tolimensis Rodriguez and Diaz, 1981. Chaceus davidi, n.sp. also belongs to a small genus of primitive crabs from the Sierra de Santa Marta; the gonopod has characters of both Chaceus and Hypolobocera. A geographical record is given for Hypolobocera martelatani Pretzmann, 1965, which was originally described from an unknown locality in "Columbia.
ZooKeys, 2014
The freshwater crabs of the Neotropics comprise 311 species in two families (Pseudothelphusidae and Trichodactylidae) and one or both of these families are found in all of the countries in the Neotropical region (except for Chile and some of the Caribbean islands). Colombia (102 species, 81% endemic) and Mexico (67 species, 95% endemic) are the biodiversity hotspots of freshwater crab species richness and country-level endemism for this region. The results of the IUCN Red List conservation assessments show that 34% of pseudothelphusids and 10% of trichodactylids have an elevated risk of extinction, 29% of pseudothelphusids and 75% of trichodactylids are not at-risk (Least Concern), and although none are actually extinct, 56% of pseudothelphusids and 17% of trichodactylids are too poorly known to assess (Data Deficient). Colombia (14 species), Venezuela (7 species), Mexico (6 species), and Ecuador (5 species) are the countries with the highest number of threatened species of Neotropical freshwater crabs. The majority of threatened species are restricted-range semiterrestrial endemics living in habitats subjected to deforestation, alteration of drainage patterns, and pollution. This underlines the need to prioritize and develop conservation measures before species decline to levels from which they cannot recover. These results represent a baseline that can be used to design strategies to save threatened Neotropical species of freshwater crabs.
Journal of Crustacean Biology, 2016
The freshwater crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae Ortmann, 1893 are restricted to the Neotropics and many species have an elevated risk of extinction. The majority of pseudothelphusids is considered to be data-deficient, which impedes the assessment of their vulnerability levels. More than 50% of pseudothelphusids are endemic to Guatemala, and half of the species are categorized as data-deficient. In order to update and broaden our knowledge of the freshwater crab fauna of Guatemala, several surveys were carried out from 2014 to 2015, combined with the examination of collections of freshwater crabs of Guatemala deposited in several museums. A total of 55 specimens comprising six pseudothelphusid species were collected. The most common species were Potamocarcinus armatus H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (20% of the material identified to the species level), Phrygiopilus ibarrai (Pretzmann, 1978), Raddaus bocourti (A. Milne-Edwards, 1866), and Potamocarcinus magnus Rathbun, 1896 (14.5% each). The collection of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala consisted of 57 lots with 69 individuals of nine pseudothelphusid species; predominant species were R. bocourti (61.7% of all identified lots) and P. magnus (20.5%). The following species are reported here as new records for Guatemala: Elsalvadoria zurstrasseni (Bott, 1956), Raddaus mertensi (Bott, 1956), and two undescribed species (Phrygiopilus sp., Zilchia sp.). Almost half of the 17 freshwater crab species (including the two undescribed) are either data-deficient or not yet assessed, and 65% (11 species) are endemic to Guatemala. Conservation strategies are urgently needed to preserve the integrity of the sites and habitats occupied by freshwater crabs, along with studies aiming to fill the gap of the data-deficient species.
Revista Brasileira De Zoologia, 2005
Pseudothelphusidae is a well diversified group of Neotropical freshwater crabs currently comprising 40 genera and at least 255 species and subspecies. The biology of these crabs has been an active field of research in the last 20 years. The aim of the present contribution is to discuss the significance of the new knowledge on the biology of these freshwater crabs after September 1992, to stress the interconnection of the diverse lines of research and at the same time to suggest promising new lines of investigation. All taxa described from September 1992 to October 2004 are listed, including one genus, one subgenus, 62 species and five subspecies.The implications of this new knowledge on the taxonomy, systematic and biogeography of the family are commented. KEY WORDS. Biodiversity, biogeography, Neotropical region, taxonomy.
New species of freshwater crabs from the Andes (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae)
Three new species of Pseudothelphu sidae are described from the Andes. Strengeriana tolimensis n. sp, belongs, with four other species, to a primitive group of crabs of the Central Cordillera of Colombia. Hypolobocera quevedensis n. sp. is closely related to H. ratbbuni PRETZMANN 1968, both from the western slopes of the Andes of Ecuador. Hypolobocera brevipenis n. sp. forms a natural series with four other species from the eastern slopes of Ecuador and Peru. • During a recent trip throughout the Andes, the junior author had the oppor tunity of collecting freshwater crabs at several localu.es. in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Among this material are several interest! ivz specimens, in particular a new species of the genus Strengeriana. This genus groups the most primitive members or the Pseudothelphusidae still surviving in South America, according to an hypotnesis recently formulated !w RODRIGUEZ (in press). The addition of a fourth species to the genus not only completes the pictur...