[Crustacea • 2025] Louisea cataracta • A New Species of Louisea Cumberlidge, 1994 (Brachyura: Potamonautidae: Liberonautinae), A Freshwater Crab from the Ekom-Nkam Waterfall, Cameroon

 

Louisea cataracta 

Ndongo, Rintelen, Clark & Cumberlidge, 2025  

     

   DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5590.1.6 

 Researchgate.net/publication/389152443

 Abstract

A new species of Louisea Cumberlidge, 1994 (Brachyura: Potamonautidae: Liberonautinae) is described from the Nkam River below the Ekom Nkam Waterfalls, near Melong (5.06__°N, 10.03__°E), in the tropical rainforests of Cameroon. The new species is recognized by a unique combination of characters of the carapace, thoracic sternum, and male cheliped, and is supported as a separate lineage by a phylogenetic analysis of species of Louisea based on mtDNA (COI and 16S rRNA). Notes are provided on the ecology and the conservation of Louisea cataracta sp. nov..

Crustacea, Central Africa, taxonomy, Louisea cataracta n. sp., ecology, conservation 

 Louisea cataracta sp. nov.
A, Ekom-Nkam Waterfalls, the type locality. B, adult male holotype, CW 17.5 mm, Ekom-Nkam Waterfalls, Cameroon, ZMB Crust. 33410: whole animal, dorsal view. 

Louisea cataracta sp. nov. adult male holotype, CW 17.5 mm, Ekom-Nkam Waterfalls, Cameroon, ZMB Crust.33410:
A, carapace, frontal view; B, whole animal, dorsal view showing natural colour; C, cephalothorax, ventral view; D,carapace, dorsal view. 

 

Louisea cataracta n. sp.

Etymology. The species name, cataracta, is derived from the Latin for waterfall in reference to the Ekom Nkam waterfalls where the specimens were collected. The specific epithet is used as a Latin noun in apposition. 

Pierre A. Mvogo NDONGO, Thomas Von RINTELEN, Paul F. CLARK and Neil CUMBERLIDGE. 2025. A New Species of Louisea Cumberlidge, 1994, A Freshwater Crab from the Ekom-Nkam Waterfall, Cameroon (Brachyura: Potamonautidae: Liberonautinae).  Zootaxa. 5590(1); 113-123. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5590.1.6 [2025-02-20]

  Researchgate.net/publication/389152443_A_new_species_of_Louisea_from_the_EkomNkam_Waterfall_Cameroon

[Crustacea • 2020] Potamonautes licoensis • Phylogenetics of the Freshwater Crab (Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838) Fauna from ‘Sky Islands’ in Mozambique with the Description of A New Species (Brachyura: Potamonautidae)

 Potamonautes licoensis  

Daniels, Bittencourt-Silva, Muianga & Bayliss, 2020.

DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.716

Abstract

Patterns and processes of cladogenesis among taxa living on the Mozambique ‘sky islands’ remain poorly studied. During the present study, we report on a new freshwater crab species from Mount Lico, an inselberg and ‘sky island’ in the Zambezia Province of Mozambique. Phylogenetic analyses using three mitochondrial DNA sequence loci (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI) were used to determine the evolutionary placement of the freshwater crab specimens from Mount Lico. The freshwater crab specimens from Mount Lico were retrieved sister to Potamonautes choloensis. The new species, Potamonautes licoensis sp. nov., is described and compared with other southern African freshwater crab species. Divergence time estimations for the Mozambican freshwater crab species suggest a Miocene / Plio–Pleistocene diversification. Some endemic ‘sky island’ species form an early branching and are sister to other predominantly East African species, while other ‘sky island’ species are more recently derived and nested within a predominantly southern African clade. The present study presents the description of the fourth endemic freshwater crab species from Mozambique and suggests that the species diversity in the country is likely highly underrepresented, reiterating the call for renewed systematic surveys. An argument for the conservation of these mountainous ‘sky islands’ is presented.

Keywords: alpha taxonomy; species diversity; novel lineages; sky island; conservation

Infraorder Brachyura Latreille, 1802

Superfamily Potamoidea Ortmann, 1896

Family Potamonautidae Bott, 1970

Subfamily Potamonautinae Bott, 1970

Genus Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838

Fig. 2.  Potamonautes licoensis sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (CL = 17.55 mm) (SAM C-A091399). A. Entire animal, dorsal aspect. B. Entire animal, ventral aspect. C. Cephalothorax, frontal aspect. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 5. A. Primary rainforest habitat where  Potamonautes licoensis sp. nov. occurs. B. Live colour of P. licoensis sp. nov upon collection. Photographs by J. Bayliss. 

 

Potamonautes licoensis sp. nov. 

Diagnosis Carapace: highly flat (CH/CL = 0.44) (Table 1); postfrontal crest well-defined, complete, lateral ends meeting anterolateral margins; epigastric crests faint, median sulcus between crests short, not forked posteriorly; exorbital, epibranchial teeth reduced to granules; anterolateral carapace margin with small tooth epibranchial (Figs 2A–C, 5A). Third maxilliped: ischium with distinct vertical sulcus (Fig. 3C); s3/s4 complete, V-shaped, deep, midpoint almost meeting anterior margin of sterno-pleonal cavity; margins of s4 low, not raised (Fig. 2B). Cheliped: dactylus (moveable finger) slim, highly arched, enclosing oval interspace, with three larger teeth interspersed by smaller teeth along length; propodus (fixed finger) with four larger teeth interspersed by smaller teeth along length (Fig. 2A–C); carpus inner margin distal tooth large, pointed, proximal tooth reduced to granules (Fig. 3A); medial inferior margin of merus lined with series of small granules terminating distally at small, low distal meral tooth, lateral inferior margin smooth. G1 terminal article: ⅓rd length of subterminal segment; first third straight in line with longitudinal axis of subterminal segment, middle part directed outward at 45°, widened by raised rounded ventral lobe, tip curving sharply upward (Fig. 3A–B).

Etymology: Named for Mount Lico, from where the species was first collected.

Type locality: Mount Lico, Zambezia Province, Mozambique. 

Habitat: Primary rain forest streams on top of Mount Lico, Zambezia Province, Mozambique. Frequently found under small stones in first order streams (Fig. 5A). 

Distribution: Known from Mount Lico, Zambezia Province, Mozambique. More recently, the species has also been collected from Mount Nallume (Daniels pers. obs.).

Savel R. Daniels, Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva, Vanessa Muianga and Julian Bayliss. 2020. Phylogenetics of the Freshwater Crab (Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838) Fauna from ‘Sky Islands’ in Mozambique with the Description of A New Species (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 716; 1–23. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.716

[Crustacea • 2017] Sudanonautes tiko • Morphological and Molecular Evidence for A New Species of Freshwater Crab of the Genus Sudanonautes Bott, 1955 (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Cameroon, with Notes on Its Ecology

Sudanonautes tiko

Mvogo Ndongo, Schubart, Rintelen, Tamesse & Cumberlidge, 2017
  
 DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4242.1.8 

Abstract

A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Sudanonautes Bott, 1955, is described from the tropical rainforests of Edea and Tiko in southern Cameroon, Central Africa. Sudanonautes tiko n. sp. is recognized by a unique combination of characters of the carapace, thoracic sternum, chelipeds, and male first gonopod, and by distinct mtDNA sequences for two loci (COI and 16S rRNA). A diagnosis, illustrations, and a tree of phylogenetic relationships based on mtDNA sequences are provided, along with a comparison to similar species from the region. Brief notes are provided on the ecology of the new species and of three other species of Sudanonautes collected during this study.

Keywords: Crustacea, Central Africa, new species, taxonomy, freshwater decapod

Pierre A. Mvogo Ndongo, Christoph D. Schubart, Thomas Von Rintelen, Joseph L. Tamesse and Neil Cumberlidge. 2017. Morphological and Molecular Evidence for A New Species of Freshwater Crab of the Genus Sudanonautes Bott, 1955 (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Cameroon, with Notes on Its Ecology.
Zootaxa.  4242(1); 161-173.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4242.1.8

[Crustacea • 2017] New Data on the Taxonomy, Ecology, and Conservation of the Rediscovered Louisea edeaensis (Bott, 1969) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae), an Endangered Freshwater Crab from Cameroon

 Louisea edeaensis (Bott, 1969)  

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4231.2.9 

Abstract

The rare and endangered Cameroonian potamonautid freshwater crab Louisea edeaensis (Bott, 1969) was recently rediscovered during a biological inventory of the freshwater decapods of southern Cameroon. The previous record dated back more than 100 years. The new specimens allow an updated diagnosis of the species based on comparisons of important taxonomic characters. Photographs of the carapace, gonopods, third maxillipeds, and chelipeds of the largest adult male specimen from Lake Ossa, Cameroon are provided, as are the first photographs of living specimens. The conservation implications of the new data on habitat, population structure, distribution, and threats for this rare and endangered species are discussed.

Keywords: Crustacea, taxonomy, Lake Ossa, IUCN Red List

Pierre A. Mvogo-Ndongo, Thomas von Rintelen, Christoph D. Schubart, Christian Albrecht, Joseph L.Tamesse and Neil. Cumberlidge. 2017. New Data on the Taxonomy, Ecology, and Conservation of the Rediscovered Louisea edeaensis (Bott, 1969) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae), an Endangered Freshwater Crab from Cameroon.
Zootaxa. 4231(2); 273–280. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4231.2.9

Cumberlidge, N. 1994. Louisea, a new genus of fresh-water crab (Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamonautidae) for Globonautes macropus edeaensis Bott, 1969 from Cameroon. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 107, 122–131.

http://commons.nmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1074&context=facwork_journalarticles

[Crustacea • 2016] Potamonautes gorongosa • A New Species of Potamonautid Freshwater Crab (Decapoda, Brachyura) from Mozambique, southeastern Africa

Potamonautes gorongosa 

Cumberlidge, Naskrecki & Daniels, 2016 

 DOI:  10.1590/2358-2936e2016029  

A new species of the freshwater crab genus Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838, is described from Gorongosa National Park in Sofala Province, Mozambique, southern Africa. Potamonautes gorongosa, new species, is morphologically and phylogenetically distinct from the other species of Potamonautes found in Mozambique and nearby countries, and is most closely related to Potamonautes mutareensis Phiri and Daniels, 2013, from eastern Zimbabwe. The new species differs from this species and its other congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters of the first gonopod, the anterior sternum, third maxilliped, and the major cheliped. Illustrations of P. gorongosa new species are provided, and differences with other species found in Mozambique and southeastern Africa are discussed.

Keywords: Afrotropical region; Gorongosa National Park; Potamonautidae; taxonomy.

Taxonomy

Family Potamonautidae Bott, 1970

Genus Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838

Potamonautes gorongosa new species

Potamonautes sp. 2 - Daniels et al., 2015: Pg. 553, Table 1; Pg. 558, Fig. 2.

Etymology. The new species is named for Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, the only place that it is known to occur (so far).

Distribution. Potamonautes gorongosa, new species, is known from one locality in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. This is a 4,000 km2 park at the southern end of the Rift Valley in central Mozambique, and includes Mount Gorongosa (1,863 m asl) where P. gorongosa was collected. The Gorongosa National Park dominates the Gorongosa District in Sofala Province of Mozambique.

Habitat. The freshwater crabs reported on in the present study were collected by the second author from Sofala Province in Mozambique, in highland and montane fresh waters where the vegetation type is predominantly savanna with fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers. This narrow 450 km long area lies within the Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands ecoregion in southeastern Africa along the eastern border of Zimbabwe with Mozambique and includes the Nyanga and Chimanimani mountains whose rivers drain eastwards through Mozambique (Thieme et al., 2005; Abell et al., 2008). The known locality for P. gorongosa lies in the Zambezian lowveld freshwater ecoregion that comprises most of western and northern Mozambique and extends from south of the Zambezi delta in central Mozambique southwards to the Tugela River system in South Africa (Thieme et al., 2005; Abell et al., 2008). This species was collected with P. obesus a semi-terrestrial burrowing freshwater crab found in the coastal belt of eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique (Reed and Cumberlidge, 2004). The report of P. obesus from western Mozambique is a new record for this species in this part of the country.

Neil Cumberlidge, Piotr Naskrecki and Savel R. Daniels. 2016. Potamonautes gorongosa, A New Species of Potamonautid Freshwater Crab (Decapoda, Brachyura) from Mozambique, southeastern Africa. 

Nauplius. 24, e2016029. DOI:  10.1590/2358-2936e2016029.

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/nau/v24/2358-2936-nau-24-e2016029.pdf