Transcript of Distribution and Exploitation of the Long-Clawed Crayfish
Distribution and Exploitation of the Long-Clawed Crayfishte
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Biology of Freshwater Decapods Frankfurt a. M.
December 8-10, 2010
PLENARY TALK
NEIL CUMBERLIDGE
Crab and Crayfish Specialist Group,IUCN Species Survival
Commission
Freshwater ecosystems host a diverse endemic fauna including
freshwater crabs, crayfish, and shrimps but freshwater habitats,
and the animals that depend on them are now under imminent threat.
Recent IUCN Red List assessments of the freshwater decapods around
the world have revealed unexpectedly high threat levels with
significant numbers of species threatened with extinction. The
majority of imperilled decapod species are restricted-range
endemics living in habitats subjected to deforestation, alteration
of drainage patterns, pollution, and over-harvesting for human
consumption. I review here the current strategies aimed at
monitoring and quantifying the decline of the World’s threatened
freshwater decapod species, and the efforts being taken to develop
conservation measures to prevent further losses. Strategies for the
sustainable management of inland aquatic resource depend heavily on
baseline data on the diversity, conservation status, and
distribution patterns of the freshwater decapod faunas. The growing
pressures on freshwater habitats and their species make it a
priority to understand the effectiveness of current conservation
strategies at the global and national levels in protecting
freshwater systems and their inhabitants. It is clear that we are
rapidly losing a good part of the biodiversity of the freshwater
realm worldwide, and trends indicate that this situation is
becoming increasingly serious. Future challenges include an
increasing human population placing pressures on water resources
for food, energy, transport, and water supply, and by the emerging
threats to freshwater ecosystems posed by global climate
change.
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Oral presentations
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Astacus leptodactylus in Iran
Inland water Aquaculture research institute, P.O.Box 66, Bandar
Anzali, Iran
The Long-clawed Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus ) is the only
crayfish species found in the freshwater environment of Iran.
Astacus leptodactylus is a native freshwater crayfish, naturally
distributed in some lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers of Iran.
This species has also been stocked in some freshwater systems in
Iran to establish new populations. In the years 2000-05 Astacus
leptodactylus was introduced from Arass reservoir to 34 water
bodies of 13 provinces.
At present, there is only one commercial crayfish harvesting area
in Iran adjacent to Arass reservoir in the Northwestern part of the
country in Western Azerbaijan Province. Between 1996 and 2007, the
harvest of A. leptodactylus in Iran from the Arass reservoir has
increased from 11.7 tonnes to 240 tonnes in 2007.But some sign of
overfishing has been observed in this ecosystem.
Approximately 23.6 tonnes of A. leptodactylus were harvested from
some lakes in Eastern Azerbaijan , Ardabil and Zanjan
Provinces.
The stock of A. leptodactylus in Anzali lagoon has been damaged due
to over-fishing, water pollution, water withdrawal for agricultural
Irrigation and recent years of drought. In 1985 about 11 tonnes of
A. leptodactylus have been harvested from Anzali lagoon and
exported to Turkey.But after that there was very low harvest of
this species from Anzali lagoon.The population of A. leptodactylus
has been disappeared from some localities of this waterbody.
Pontastacus eichwaldi is distributed throughout the coast of the
Middle and Southern Caspian Sea. Investigation showed that there is
some population of this species in Bandar Anzali coastal waters in
a depth range from 35 to 100 mm. Experimental harvest of
Pontastacus eichwaldi from the Caspian Sea in Bandar Anzali was
only about 700 kg in 2007 and 2008.
As crayfish are sensitive to water quality, For sustainable
exploitation, the crayfish populations should be carefully
monitored in introduced water body.
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Multiple Invasions of Freshwater by a Genus of Shrimp
Revealed Through Molecular Analysis
CHRISTOPHER W. ASHELBY1,2, TIMOTHY J PAGE3, SAMMY DE GRAVE4 &
MAGNUS JOHNSON1
1CEMS, University of Hull, Scarborough Campus, Filey Road,
Scarborough. YO11 3AZ. United Kingdom.
2Thomson Unicomarine, 7 Diamond Centre, Works Road, Letchworth
Garden City. SG6 1LW. United Kingdom. 3Australian Rivers Institute,
Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Queensland, 4111,
Australia.
4Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford
OX1 3PW. United Kingdom
The transition into fresh water requires many physiological and
life history adaptations
and is one that few faunal groups have made. Of those that have,
crustaceans are amongst the most successful with the Decapoda being
well represented in freshwater. Eight caridean shrimp families
contain species found in freshwater, numerically dominated by the
Atyidae and Macrobrachium. The subfamily Palaemoninae is widely
believed to be radiating into freshwater from ancestral marine
stock with the large genus Macrobrachium being essentially confined
to fresh- and euryhaline water. Other species rich palaemonid
genera in freshwater are Palaemonetes and, to a lesser extent,
Palaemon. Although traditionally these two genera were separated
only on the basis of the presence or absence of a mandible palp in
Palaemonetes, several studies have questioned the utility of this
character, although none have suggested merging both genera. Some
previous morphological and molecular studies have also suggested
that both Palaemon and Palaemonetes may be paraphyletic. A
phylogenetic study of these two genera, based on 16S rRNA and
Histone, recovered them as a single, monophyletic clade and
revealed that the freshwater species are not closely related to
each other, but instead group with geographically close marine
species. This suggests multiple invasions of freshwater rather than
a single colonisation event with subsequent speciation. In each
geographic region the freshwater species are believed to be derived
from one or more physiologically plastic ancestral species with the
highest diversity of freshwater taxa occurring in eastern America
where 62% of the species are found in freshwater. A review of other
freshwater species across all invertebrates suggests that the
situation in Palaemon/Palaemonetes may be unique in that they
comprise a monophyletic clade with a worldwide distribution, but
with approximately half the species being marine and half being
freshwater and the freshwater forms resulting from at least 7
independent invasions.
Dosimetric Induction of N Acetyl Glucosamine Specific Hemagglutinin
(HA) in the Crab Paratelphusa jacquemontii
MICHAEL RAJAM BASIL-ROSE, JOSEPHINE PRIYATHARSHINI CHELLAPPA
& VINOLIYA JOSEPHINE MARY JOHNSON
Department of Zoology, Holy Cross College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu,
629004, India.
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The hemolymph agglutinin of the fresh water paddy field crab
Paratelphusa jacquemontii agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes much
better than other erythrocytes. When the haemolymph is preadsorbed
with erythrocytes of a particular species, its ability to
agglutinate erythrocytes of any species is lost suggesting the
presence of a single haemagglutinin in the haemolymph. The
haemagglutination titer is enhanced when the surface glycoprotein
of erythrocytes are cleaved with proteases suggesting that the
receptor of the agglutinin may be masked by the surface proteins.
However, the HA titer is significantly reduced after Clostridium
perfringens neuraminidase (Type X) treatment of erythrocytes. The
GluNac specificity is confirmed by inhibiting agglutination with
sugar such as N-acetyl glucosamine>N-acetyl neuramininic
acid> N-acetyl galactosamine> N-acetyl mannosamine. Of the
sialic acid containing glycoconjugates, BSM was the potent
inhibitor of hemolymph agglutination. The HA activity is optimal at
pH 6.5 -7.5 and at 30 C. HA titer is enhanced by 10mM Calcium (Ca),
while 10 mM EDTA decrease the same. Interestingly Magnesium (Mg)
did not affect HA at any concentration. The hypothesis that the
invading pathogens may induce HA was tested by inflicting injury
and autotomy to the crabs as well as by injecting different
concentrations of the erythrocytes. Strikingly, the HA titer was
augmented by the injected erythrocytes or by inflicting injury but
not by autotomy. Differences were observed in the level of
induction with agglutinating and nonagglutinating erythrocytes. The
HA production increased with increase in concentration of the
injected erythrocytes provided the concentration of the injected
erythrocyte is not fatal to the animal.
Chela Polymorphism in Adult Males of Aegla perobae (Anomura:
Aeglidae)
SÉRGIO L. S. BUENO, BRUNO F. TAKANO, FELIPE P. A. COHEN
& ROBERTO M. SHIMIZU
Institute of Biosciences - University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Carapace length (CL; rostrum excluded) and propodus length (PL) and
propodus height (PH) of the major claw were measured with a digital
caliper to the nearest 0.01 mm. Separation of data into juvenile
and adult groups was based on the average size at the onset of
morphometric maturity (= 9.11 mm of CL) in males of Aegla perobae.
Analyses of the lnPL vs. lnCL relationship in adults (K-means
clustering analysis) allowed classification of data points into two
sets that differed in CL but were overlapped through virtually all
CL range. To clarify the biological meaning of this pattern,
further analyses based on chela shape (PH vs PL relationship) were
performed. Visual inspection of lnPH vs lnPL scatter plot of the
overall adult dataset suggested a non-linear relationship which
became more evident when residuals of the ln[PH] vs. ln [PL size
classes] regression was against ln[PL size classes]. The same
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pattern was also observed in each of the previously separated adult
groups. Subsequently, each previously separated dataset was further
classified into two groups. The linear regression equation and
coefficient of determination for each group of data points were:
lnPH = 1.1074lnPL – 0.76; r² = 0.9746 (group I); lnPH = 1.082 lnPL
– 0.6721; r² = 0.9682 (group II); lnPH = 0.9988 lnPL – 0.5022; r² =
0.9741 (group III); and lnPH = 0.907 lnPL – 0.216; r² = 0.9538
(group IV). All regression lines differed in slope, except between
groups I and III which differed in elevation (ANCOVA). These four
groups were interpreted as morphotypes characterized by a change in
the relationship in claw dimensions. The temporal sequence of lnPL
vs. lnCL plots in which morphotypes were distinguished suggested
that there is an association between their sequential appearance in
the population and the reproductive cycle of the species. Aegla
perobae reproduces twice during lifetime and each reproductive
period is markedly seasonal (5 months). Morphotype I males appear
in the population after the puberty molt and later give rise to
morphotype II individuals as the beginning of the first
reproductive period approaches. Morphotype III males derive from
the latter morphotype after mating and change into morphotype IV
individuals in preparation for the approaching second reproductive
period. Morphotypes I and III may thus be viewed as reproductively
resting males while morphotypes II and IV may be regarded as
functionally reproductive males. Research grants (SLSB): FAPESP (#
2008/57128-0) and CNPq (302663/2009-6)
Estimating the Population Size of Aegla perobae (Anomura: Aeglidae)
by Mark-Recapture Technique
SERGIO L. S. BUENO, BRUNO F. TAKANO, FELIPE P. A. COHEN
& ROBERTO M. SHIMIZU
Aegla perobae is a critically endangered species, with known
geographic distribution
restricted to nine small streams in the County of São Pedro, state
of São Paulo, Brazil. The estimated area of occupancy of the
species is very small and fragmented, totalizing approximately
0.0135km². The population from the type-locality (22°31’26.6” S;
047°56’37.6” W) was selected for the estimation of population size
by means of the Schumacher and Eschmeyer method for closed
populations and the use of mark-recapture technique. Four quarterly
estimations were performed (from austral autumn 2009 through summer
2010), each of them based on data collected during 7 consecutive
days. During each 7-day working period, a section of the stream was
isolated with fishing net to prevent migration of aeglid specimens.
These anomuran decapods were collected with the aid of traps baited
with commercial cat feed pellets and randomly distributed within
the working area late in the afternoon and checked in the following
morning. Classification of captured individuals into juveniles or
adults was based on the average size at the onset of morphometric
maturity (= puberty moult) for each sex: 9.11 mm and 7.80 mm of
carapace length for males and for females, respectively. Population
size estimation results refer to adult individuals only. All
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adult unmarked individuals were sexed, measured (carapace length,
rostrum excluded) and marked on the carapace with a mixture of
super glue (cyanoacrylate) and commercial dye (fine powdered silver
purpurine). Previously marked (recaptures) and newly marked (new
captures) adult individuals were randomly released back to the
isolated area soon after all measurements and observations were
complete. Position of marks on the carapace was standardized for
each estimating period, but differed from one season estimate to
another to avoid biased data collection. Results of the first three
estimations are shown in Table below. Table: Aegla perobae. Three
population size estimations from an isolated area of the stream
from the type-locality.
Season/Year
section
Density (Indiv./m²)
Lower and upper limits of confidence
level (95%) Autumn/2009 1286 142.05 9.1 1176 - 1420 Winter/2009 698
164.76 4.23 666 - 732 Spring/2009 365 165.50 2.21 318 - 430
The population size of Aegla perobae adults decreased alarmingly at
each successive
estimating event. By the fourth estimation event in the summer of
2010, aeglids were sampled in such low numbers that estimation of
the population size by was not possible. The main cause of the
observed population decrease was attributed to abnormal high
rainfall regime recorded for the area during early 2008 and 2009,
causing great disturbance in the stream and may have affected
negatively the successful recruitment of two successive cohorts
that were born in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Research grants
(SLSB): FAPESP (# 2008/57128-0) and CNPq (302663/2009-6)
Reproductive Biology in Females of Aegla perobae (Anomura,
Aeglidae)
SÉRGIO L. S. BUENO, BRUNO F. TAKANO, FELIPE P. A. COHEN
& ROBERTO M. SHIMIZU
Institute of Biosciences - University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Determination of the reproductive pattern is an important
information for animal population management concerning the
preservation of endangered species. Aegla perobae Hebling &
Rodrigues, 1977 is endemic to Brazil, with known geographic
distribution limited to nine small streams, including the
type-locality (22°31’26.6” S; 047°56’37.6”W), in the County of São
Pedro, state of São Paulo. The population from the type-locality
was selected for a 2-year study on reproductive biology, based on
female specimens. Samplings were performed monthly from July 2008
through June 2010 with the aid of plastic traps baited with
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Decapods
commercial cat food pellets and distributed randomly in the bottom
of the stream. Captured animals separated according to sex and had
their carapace length (CL; rostrum excluded) measured. The
definition of reproductive period was based on the observation of
ovigerous females sampled during the 2-year study period. Average
size at the onset of functional maturity and fecundity were
estimated from data obtained from the complete reproductive period
observed in 2009. Average size of functional maturity was
determined as the CL size at which 50% of the females sampled
during the reproductive period were considered sexually functional
adults (observation of late ovarian development or the ovigerous
condition), by interpolation of the logistic equation
PAF=1/1+e(-a-b*CLC) fit on plots of proportion of adult females
(PAF) vs. CL classes (CLC) mid-points. Determination of fecundity
was based on eggs at early embryonic stage, counted from live
specimens without removing them from the pleopods. All sampled
individuals were returned alive to the stream after all
measurements and biological observations were complete. The
reproductive pattern of Aegla perobae is markedly seasonal, taking
place from April to August (5 months) or from mid-austral autumn to
late winter. Average size at the onset of functional maturity was
estimated as 10.46 mm of CL. Number of eggs (NE) at early embryonic
stage varied from 30 to 166 (10.26 and 15.74 mm of CL,
respectively), with mean fecundity of 91.86 eggs (n = 21), which
corresponded to a female with 13.52 mm of CL. The relationship
between fecundity and CL size was described by the equation: lnNE =
2.3378lnCL - 1.5671 (r² = 0.48). Research grants (SLSB): FAPESP (#
2008/57128-0) and CNPq (302663/2009-6)
Chinese Mitten Crab and Chips
PAUL F. CLARK
Crustacea Research Group, Department of Zoology, The Natural
History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, England
The invasive Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis MILNE EDWARDS,
1853, in the Thames continues to increase in numbers and expand its
distribution westward. This brachyuran species is considered to be
a delicacy in many SE Asian countries when its gonads are ripening
and fully developed prior to mating. Maturity occurs during the
autumnal months when mitten crabs migrate in large numbers from
freshwater streams to higher salinity brackish waters of the
estuary where mating occurs. Up to $40 can be paid for a single
mature mitten crab in the right condition at high-class
restaurants. Consequently commercial exploitation of mitten crabs
may be a viable method of reducing the population size in the
Thames catchment. A recent study undertaken by members of the
Zoology Department would indicate that Thames mitten crabs are fit
for human consumption and that the population is large enough to
exploit. However there are still many major issues that need to be
discussed - basically do we really want to start a mitten crab
fishery in the Thames?
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Population Structure of Aegla paulensis
(Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae ).
FELIPE P.A. COHEN, BRUNO F. TAKANO, ROBERTO M. SHIMIZU & SÉRGIO
L.S. BUENO
Institute of Biosciences - University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Specimens of Aegla paulensis were sampled monthly from a small
creek at Jaraguá State Park, São Paulo, from September 2007 through
August 2009. Traps were used to capture over five thousand
individuals, which were sexed, measured (carapace length = CL) and
inspected for reproductive traits (females only), and then released
back to the sampling site. The pattern of the reproductive cycle is
strongly seasonal (austral mid autumn through late winter), with
one single recruitment pulse per year. The obtained von Bertalanffy
growth equations were CL=21.25[1-e
-0.041(t+1.250) ] and CL=16.52[1-e
-0.049(t+1.823) ] for males and
females, respectively. Males (mean CL ± s.d = 11.86 ± 2.79 mm)
attain larger sizes than females (mean CL ± s.d = 10.84 ± 2.36 mm).
Aegla paulensis reproduces twice during an estimated life span of
40.2 months for females and 33.9 months for males. Temporal
variation of sex-ratio showed a distinctive pattern characterized
by a sequence of three distinct periods that repeated from one year
to another, and which suggested that a behavioural component
influences the proportion of sex in adult specimens during
reproductive and non-reproductive periods.
Biology and Ecology of Freshwater Decapods of Southern South
America
P. COLLINS1,2,3, V. WILLINER1,4 & F. GIRI1,4
1Instituto Nacional de Limnología, (CONICET-UNL), Ciudad
Universitaria, Pje. El Pozo s/n, CP 3000, Santa
Fe, Argentina. 2Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas (UNL).
3Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología (UADER). 4Facultad de Humanidades
y Ciencias (UNL). Santa Fe, Argentina.
The decapod fauna in southern of South America (Atlantic slope) is
characterized by species of five families: Sergestidae,
Palaemonidae, Parastacidae, Aeglidae, and Trichodactylidae. Some
species, genus and/or family are endemic, showing a strong relation
with the geo-climatic history of the continent and the hydrography.
The diversity, and species distribution is the product of millions
of years of evolution, together with the strong relation of
different geological and hydrological events that occurred in South
America. Instability is a constant in this land, frostbite, heat,
flooding, drought, low and high salt concentration, pH change are
any of the conditions that governed the different systems. The aim
of this presentation is to give a synthesis of the work about the
biology and ecology of continental
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Decapods
decapods in this region of the world. Prawns live in ponds and
rivers and are associated to aquatic vegetation or to specific
benthos communities, crabs below rocks, in caves, on the bottom and
among vegetation, pseudo-crabs below rocks and crayfish in caves or
below rocks. In different works, we discussed the growth and their
relation with abiotic factors, due to some species of prawns that
have populations that live in environment in where the conductivity
oscillates between 20.5 and 5600 uhms/cm2 (e.g. Ibera, Salado
River), temperature oscillates between 1 to 44 °C (mountain rivers,
rivers with floodplain), the pH between 6.1 to 8.25 and the
dissolved oxygen vary between 2 to 12 mg/l. The osmoregulation is a
principal factor that permits that the individuals can inhabit
these systems, and become more independent of osmotic relations.
Some species of crabs burrow into the bed of rivers and lakes and
by this maintain the humidity when the rivers or ponds are dry
during certain times of the year. We observed that the reproduction
has similarities in all groups, the seasonality of the events,
diminution of egg numbers, the ecclosion in late stages are some of
these. Moreover, the parental care or relation between juvenile and
mother during a restricted period occurs in brachyurans, and
anomurans. Another subject is the interaction within the systems,
directing the food matter cycle and energy flux towards different
communities that characterize the freshwater environments. The
feeding activities vary with the different rhythms that govern the
ecosystems. This causes qualitative and quantitative changes in the
food chains. The decapod crustaceans are an important and
interesting group for understanding the trophic webs of aquatic
environments, because of their high density and nutritional
quality. The dynamics of decapods in the food web and communities
is regulated by the rhythms of exogenous factors such as abiotic
(e.g. flood pulse, temperature, seasonality, light hours,
conductivity, pH) and biotic parameters (presence of predators,
competition, trophic situation). Moreover, the activities are
coupled to endogenous rhythms of each species (e.g. molting,
reproduction, nutrition requirement). All these rhythms that
influence trophic relationships corresponding to the evolutionary
interaction for many years between environment and species.
Freshwater prawns and crabs are considered to be not only predators
but also prey, being important elements in the food chain. These
crustaceans take part in the matter-of energy exchange between
aquatic and terrestrial systems. The information obtained shows
that the hydrological regime, and the connectivity degree among
different environments influence the refuge and food availability
modified the intra- and interspecific relationships.
An Overview of the Afrotropical Freshwater Crab Fauna: Diversity,
Evolution, Biogeography, and Conservation
NEIL CUMBERLIDGE
Chair, Freshwater Crab and Crayfish Specialist Group,IUCN Species
Survival Commission
The Afrotropical zone includes 137 species of freshwater crabs in
18 genera that belong to two families: the Potamonautidae and
Potamidae. The Afrotropical freshwater crabs are found throughout
sub-Saharan Africa and on the islands of the western Indian
Ocean
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Decapods
(Socotra, the Seychelles, and Madagascar). The Afrotropical
freshwater crab fauna is highly endemic at the family, genus, and
species levels and is distinctly regional in character, with
distinctive species assemblages in the west, east, central,
southern, Madagascan, Seychellian, and Socotran regions. The total
taxonomic diversity of the Afrotropical region (18 genera, 137
species, 2 families) is markedly lower than that seen in the
freshwater crab faunas of the Neotropical (50 genera, 298 species,
2 families) and Oriental/Palaearctic (154 genera, 849 species, 2
families) regions. The evolutionary relationships of the
Afrotropical freshwater crabs indicate at least three different
lineages within the region. The recent IUCN Red List conservation
assessment found 20% of the Afrotropical species to be threatened,
with another 20% of species biologically unknown (data deficient),
making the number of threatened species likely to be an undercount.
Threats from habitat destruction and pollution are a major concern
due to the rapidly growing economy and massive developments taking
place in the Afrotropical region. There is a need for more species
exploration and for the development of a conservation strategy for
Africa and Madagascar’s threatened (and potentially threatened)
endemic freshwater crab species.
The Virtual Library of Biology (vifabio): Subject Portal for
Biodiversity and Other Facets of Biology
JUDITH DÄHNE, GERWIN KASPEREK, & JASHAR REXHEPI
University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg, Bockenheimer
Landstrasse 134-138,
60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The Virtual Library of Biology (vifabio, www.vifabio.de/?lang=en)
combines high-
quality scientific sources from libraries, article databases and
the Internet. vifabio’s goal is to cover biology in its entire
breadth and to meet the different requirements of users demanding a
good library service: not only molecular biologists, who want to
search the latest journals, but also taxonomists, who require
species descriptions from the 18th century, should be able to find
what they need.
The central element of vifabio is the Virtual Catalogue: multiple
library catalogues with important biological collections,
bibliographic data of the Biodiversity Heritage Library and
Animalbase, several article databases and the vifabio Internet
Guide can be searched with a single query. Links to the electronic
journals library and delivery services simplify access to
full-texts or hard copies. In the presentation examples showing use
cases of freshwater crab carciniologists will be given. Modules
like the Internet Guide or the Database Guide open up further
research options. vifabio offers additional services such as lists
of new titles and subject dossiers e.g. “Internet sources for the
International Year of Biodiversity”
(www.vifabio.de/iyb2010/?lang=en).
vifabio is a project of the University Library, Frankfurt am Main
(Germany), in conjunction with further libraries and biological
organisations. vifabio is on the Web since 2007 – worldwide and
free of charge.
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Demographic History and Colonization of the Seychelles by a
Freshwater Crab Species
SAVEL REGAN DANIELS
Stellenbosch University, Merriman Avenue, 7602 Stellenbosch, South
Africa
In the present study, the endemic monotypic freshwater crab species
Seychellum alluaudi is used to examine the initial colonization
route of the species and its subsequent evolutionary history among
in the Seychelles Archipelago. Five major granitic islands
including Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette, La Digue and Frégate were
sampled. Two partial mtDNA fragments, 16S rRNA and cytochrome
oxidase subunit I (COI) was sequenced for 83 specimens of
Seychellum alluaudi collected from 15 localities on the five
granitic islands. Evolutionary relationships were inferred with the
use of Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony, Minimum Evolution and
Bayesian inferences, using bootstrap and posterior probabilities to
determine statistical robustness of the clades. Analyses of
molecular variance (AMOVA) was used to examine genetic variation
among and within clades detected from the phylogenetic analyses,
while mismatch distributions were also undertaken for each of the
observed clades. A haplotype network was constructed using TCS for
the entire data set, while a Nested Clade Analyses (NCA) was
performed on a subset of the samples in the largest and most well
sample clade, to examine the factors causal to the phylogeographic
patterning. Divergence time dating using PAML was employed to date
the colonization of the species on the granitic island.
Phylogenetic analyses of the combined mtDNA data for the 83
specimens and retrieved a monophyletic Seychellum alluaudi group
comprised of three statistically well supported clades. Clade one
was exclusive to Silhouette Island and basal, clade two included
samples from Praslin Island sister to samples from La Digue Island,
while clade three comprised samples from Mahé Island sister to
samples from Frégate Island. Within Mahé Island the largest
granitic island, substantial phylogeographic substructure was
evident within the island and three additional subgroups were
detected that included a southern, central and northern cluster.
Divergence time estimations predate the Plio/Pleistocene sea level
regressions and indicate a mid Miocene divergence between the three
clades evident within S. alluaudi. Furthermore divergence time
estimation suggest the granitic islands were first colonized as a
result of transoceanic dispersal from East Africa, a result that is
corroborated by paleo oceanographic modelling. While the
predominant oceanic current is currently in a western direction,
recent counter current over water-mediated dispersal between Mahé
and Frégate Islands suggest that current exchange have also changed
in an easterly direction. Three distinct allospecies are present
within Seychellum alluaudi on the granitic islands / clades of the
Seychelles underscoring the importance of systematic studies in
biogeographic studies.
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Phylogeography and Genetic Diversity of Neotropical Freshwater
Shrimp of the Family Atyidae (Decapoda, Caridea)
SUSANNE FÜSSEL1, LUCAS TORATI2, FERNANDO L.M. MANTELATTO2 &
CHRISTOPH D. SCHUBART1
1Fakultät für Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg,
Deutschland.
2University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Freshwater shrimp belong to eight families within the Caridea,
numerically dominated
by the Atyidae (359 species), an old group of decapod shrimp with
highly diverse morphological forms, comprising a wide distribution
on almost all continents and mostly occurring in freshwaters. They
can be characterized by their unique feeding chelipeds equipped
with complex brushes on the first and second pereiopods which are
used for a filtering or brushing feeding mode. The Atyidae are
mostly tropical to subtropical species with few representatives in
the Neotropics. In the Caribbean they are particularly diverse with
genera occurring in surface rivers, i.e. Micratya, Jonga (Caribbean
endemics), Atya and Potimirim (also in South America), and one
subterranean genus (Typhlatya). Certain atyid species, such as P.
americana and A. lanipes are restricted to the Greater
Antilles.
The present study investigates intraspecific diversity of P.
potimirim from Brazil and the Caribbean in order to reconstruct the
geographical distribution and genetic divergence among populations
and to estimate the gene flow potential. Intraspecific comparisons
are carried out with DNA sequences of the mitochondrial Cox1 gene,
while 16s ribosomal mtDNA and histone 3 nuclear DNA is used for
species identification and higher level phylogenetics. Our results
indicate the existence of two currently undescribed cryptic species
within Micratya and Potimirim.
Morphology and Molecular Biology of Freshwater Decapod Populations
in
a Biogeographicalical Context from Argentina, South America
F. GIRI, V. WILLINER, P. A. COLLINS, E. C. RUEDA, P. AMAVET, P.
GALARZA & G. OJEDA
INALI (CONICET-UNL). Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias
(UNL).
Departamento Ciencias Naturales (FHUC-UNL)
In Argentina freshwater crustaceans decapods are grouped into 4
families: Sergestidae,
Palaemonidae, Parastacidae, Aeglidae, Trichodactylidae. The
diversity and distribution of these families is the results of
evolution where intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors have
“acted”.
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
This work is presented as a synthesis of morphology and molecular
studies in a biogeographical context of different taxa to elucidate
the actual evolutionary situation. All these aspects continued
being studied (morphological) and new (molecular) evidences are
added with the objective of finding new pieces of the puzzle
concerning the evolution of the freshwater decapods. The geometric
morphometrics is a relatively new tool to study shape and size.
This technique combines the geometry, the statistics and the
biology, allowing the traditional methods based on distances and
measures to be replaced by geometric approaches. The analysis of
the populations genetic structure has become an useful tool since
the existent genetic variability is related to the dynamics of
ecological and behavioral variables in wild populations. The
measurement of variation at DNA level may allow us to predict the
behavior of local populations over time since a considerable level
of variation increases the ability of the species to adapt to
environmental changes. Populations of Aegla platensis, A. scamosa,
A. riolimayana, A. uruguayana, A. neuquensis, and A. affinis
(Family Aeglidae) and Trichodactylus borellinauns and T. kensleyii
(Family Trichodactylidae) were studied. The geometric morphometrics
approach was carried out, exclusively, using landmarks and
semilandmarks. Then, the analysis of the shape was carried out
principally using the TPS software package. The selection of the
landmarks was different for each species, so that different
configurations of landmarks and semilandmarks were explored and
used. For each analysis relative warps were obtained in an
exploratory way. Finally the analysis of shapes of the
cephalothorax was conducted as a whole and for some species of
Aeglidae considering it as a modular structure. The statistical
methods used were uni- and multivariate. It is well known that a
population can present an unique gene combination and the genetic
structure of a set of reproductively isolated populations can
mutually diverge. In this way we have analyzed the genetic
structure of different populations of Aegla singularis and Aegla
uruguayana. The genetic variation between populations was assessed
by using RAPD analysis. The results showed that the populations
exhibited different shape patterns. A. scamosa, A. riolimayana and
A. uruguayana presents clinal patterns while in A. platensis this
pattern was not observed in relation to the distribution of
populations. A. riolimayana and A. neuquensis populations presented
distributional patterns associated to pseudo-crabs inhabiting
rivers vs. those living in lakes. Regarding crabs, T. borellinauns
presents different shapes considering a metapopulation structure
and environmental parameters in the ventral region but not in the
dorsal. T. kensleyii specimens from different basins did not
exhibit statistical differences in shape. Molecular analyses
considering two populations of A. singularis (from the different
basins) showed no population differentiation. However, high levels
of polymorphism were found in one population (Pesiguero stream)
unlike an other (Coaty stream). The same analysis was performed
considering 3 populations of A. uruguayana from the same
metapopulation. In this case, we found significant differentiation
among populations. Genetic distance is possibly due to, a clinal
pattern related to colonization events. In this context, through
interpretation of data which have long been working together with
the incorporation of new tools we began to reinterprete the
evolutionary aspects of the freshwater decapods from Argentina and
South America.
16
Global Trends in the Description of Freshwater Decapoda,
1758-2010
SAMMY DE GRAVE1, DARREN C. J. YEO2, CELIO MAGALHAES3, NEIL
CUMBERLIDGE4, KEITH A. CRANDALL5 & PETER K.L. NG2
1Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford
OX1 3PW, United Kingdom.
2Department of Biological Science, National University of
Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543. 3Instituto
Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em
Biologia Aquatica,
Caixa Postal 478, Manaus, Brasil. 4Department of Biology, Northern
Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan 49855, USA.
5Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB, Provo,
UT 84602, USA
Species descriptions for the 2845 species of freshwater Decapoda
(20% of global
diversity in Decapoda) named during the 252 year interval from 1758
through to 2010 are analysed in regard to species descriptions per
year as well as cumulative discovery curves. The data are analysed
on a global scale, as well as for seven major zoogeographical
regions and are further broken down for Caridea, Brachyura and
Astacidea.
The results reveal that the taxonomic inventory has accumulated at
a progressively faster rate over time, through a combination of
episodic bursts of activity of several workers, often spanning
decades, as well as a steady increase of descriptions by numerous
other authors. Peaks of high activity can be clearly linked to
several key workers, as well as the appearance of large monographs.
These are often followed by periods of relative inactivity.
When examined at the level of individual zoogeographic regions, the
accumulation of taxonomic knowledge is particularly contingent upon
the productivity of a few regional experts. Although for some taxa,
the accumulation curves flatten out (for instance Palearctic
crayfish) thus demonstrating near completeness of the inventory,
the majority of accumulation curves in other zoogeographical
regions as well as for individual taxa, demonstrate that we are
some way off completing a full biodiversity inventory of the
world’s freshwater Decapoda.
Molecular and Morphological Evidence for Allopatric Differentiation
in Potamon persicum at Different Time Scales
ALIREZA KEIKHOSRAVI & CHRISTOPH D. SCHUBART
Fakultät für Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg,
Deutschland
Biodiversity assessment is a key instrument to understand
relationships between diversity and ecosystems, especially in times
of climate change and habitat destruction. To uncover the real
biodiversity, taxonomic problems in species complexes and
delimitations
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
need to be clarified. One of the key processes driving freshwater
crab diversification is allopatric differentiation resulting from
geographic isolation. It has been shown that morphological
differences among some species of Potamon of the family Potamidae
are not always reliable and do not necessarily reflect actual
species boundaries. Therefore using genetic information in parallel
with morphological techniques is an accurate way for improving
this. The current study focuses on intraspecific differentiation
among populations of Potamon persicum, a species with a wide
distribution in Iran, with molecular and morphological methods to
understand initial steps of regional differentiation.
For reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships among selected
populations, two different mitochondrial regions markers (16S_NDH1
and Cox1) were sequenced. The results suggest that some populations
of Potamon persicum are more divergent than others and do deserve
recognition as full species. Our results also show that P. persicum
radiated recently, over time becoming restricted to different
watersheds.
Issues in the Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Selected American
Freshwater Prawns (Caridea: Palaemonidae)
ALEXANDER MEE-WOONG KIM
Harvard University, 4661 Buckhorn Ridge, 22030, Fairfax, Virginia,
USA
Though the Neotropics are an important secondary center of
freshwater diversity for the
family Palaemonidae, intrageneric relationships between the
freshwater prawns of this region and those of the Old World remain
poorly characterized. Furthermore – while the importance of marine
larval dispersal for Macrobrachium in particular is attested to by
the geographic breadth of many species’ distributions (often
including oceanic islands) and the existence of amphi-Atlantic
sister species – the degree of connectedness between populations of
very wide-ranging amphidromous species represents another point of
contention. Through multilocus genetic analysis, we investigate
inter- as well as intraspecific relationships amongst a number of
American freshwater Palaemonidae (mostly Atlanto-Pacific sister
species of the genus Macrobrachium), with a special focus on
vicariant speciation following the formation of the Isthmus of
Panama. In doing so, we attempt both to situate New World
Macrobrachium in the context of inter-continental dispersal and to
examine genetic structure at much finer geographic scales. Comment
is also made on the systematic positions and phylogenetic
affinities of a number of poorly sampled taxa, including a
subterranean North American species and the broadly distributed M.
ohione.
18
Island Radiations and Geology
1Dept. of Ecology and Evolution, Goethe University, Frankfurt am
Main
5Dept. of Biological Science, National University of Singapore,
Singapore
Primary freshwater crabs are generally considered as good
biogeographic indicators with a high potential for endemicity. Here
I present several examples that support this view: (1) Disruption
of gene flow between populations and subsequent speciation caused
by a narrow marine barrier during the Early Pleistocene (Eastern
Mediterranean area); (2) origin and early evolution of the Asian
family Gecarcinucidae, (3) dispersal from the Sunda shelf into
Wallacea despite the presumed absence of terrestrial connections;
(4) island radiations and dispersal of the sundaic genus
Parathelphusa H. Milne Edwards 1853; (5) preliminary data on
Neotropic freshwater crabs.
Freshwater Crayfish of Mexico: Taxonomy, Biogeography, Phylogeny
and Conservation Status
MARILÚ LÓPEZ MEJÍA
Laboratorio Biología Evolutiva y Genética de Poblaciones,
Universidad de Quintana Roo,
Unidad Académica Cozumel, Av. Andrés Quintana Roo con calle 110
s/n, Cozumel 77600, Q. Roo, México
Mexican crayfish inhabit freshwater and salt marsh waters. They
have been subjects of a number of zoological and biomedical
studies. Not long ago, the study of the Mexican crayfish was
focused on taxonomical analysis and new species descriptions.
However, recent studies have widened the knowledge about these
crustaceans in terms of their morphological and molecular
phylogenetic relationships, distribution and diversification. This
study presents the status of Mexican crayfish showing the current
number of species, increased distributional ranges, phylogenetic
relationships and the efforts for their conservation.
19
The Distribution of Freshwater Decapods on Papaloapan River,
México
LUIS M. MEJIA-ORTÍZ
Lab. De Biospeleology & Carcinology; Universidad de Quintana
Roo, Campus Cozumel.
The Papaloapan river, an important basin in Mexico, is located on
the Gulf of Mexico
slope and includes different states in Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca
& Puebla). In this ecosystem there are several areas inhabited
by different crustaceans groups. The freshwater decapods in this
system comprise shrimps and crabs. We made several surveys in the
area in order to identify the different taxa and their
distributions within the basin. The decapods were sampled using
traps with bait and also we collected by hand. We found exclusively
freshwater crabs of the families Pseudothelphusidae and
Trichodactylidae; also we registered in the estuarine zone crabs
belonging to the Ocypodidae; Portunidae; Grapsidae; Xanthidae. Of
the shrimps we collected several species of Palaemonidae; Atyidae;
Alpheidae and also crayfishes of the family Cambaridae. It is
evident that there are some areas where we can find Natantia and
Reptantia together, normally we collected one group of decapods
(shrimps, crabs or crayfish) using microhabitats but with different
role in the benthic rivers and streams. We discuss the distribution
of these species and their roles and possible competition among
them.
The Freshwater Crabs of Lake Kivu with Comparisons to the Faunas of
Other Central African Rift Valley Lakes
(Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamonautidae)
Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI
USA
We present here the results of a taxonomic revision of the
freshwater crabs
(Potamonautidae) of Lake Kivu, a volcanic barrier in the East
African Rift Valley that lies partly in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo and partly in Rwanda. The study revealed four species of
freshwater crabs from Lake Kivu itself: Potamonautes idjwiensis
(CHACE, 1942), P. mutandensis (CHACE, 1942), P. lirrangensis
(RATHBUN, 1904), and P. bourgaulti, sp. nov. Four additional
species were identified as belonging to the drainage area of Lake
Kivu: P. gonocristatus (BOTT, 1955), P. minor (BOTT, 1955), P.
perparvus (RATHBUN, 1921), and P. semilunaris (BOTT, 1955). The
taxonomic status and distribution of each species is discussed, and
the freshwater crab fauna of Kivu is compared to that of the other
African great lakes.
20
Assessing Environmental Impacts of Shrimp Effluent Expressed by
Biological Indicators
MARYAM MODANLOW & HAMED AZARBAD
Faculty of Natural Resources, Karaj, Iran
Aquaculture is a rapidly expanding industry, and its effluent can
be a major source of pollution in marine ecosystems. Environmental
studies into the effects of shrimp aquaculture are limited and have
mostly focused on in-pond water quality, with little research
conducted into the ecological impacts of wastewater on receiving
waters. Shrimp pond effluent has higher concentrations of suspended
solids and phytoplankton, but lower concentrations of nutrients
than sewage effluent. Dissolved nutrients in shrimp effluent are
predominantly NH4, whereas sewage effluent is proportionally higher
in NO3 and PO4. These differences may have a considerable impact on
the fate of organisms in the receiving waters when effluent is
released into shallow tidal estuaries. Both sewage and aquaculture
effluent can be discharged intermittently, resulting in large dial
fluctuations in water quality. Difficulties in monitoring these
variable discharges can be overcome by the use of biological
indicators, which integrate the impacts of these effluents over
time. Unlike traditional chemical analyses of water column
nutrients, these biological indicators reflect the availability of
biologically available nutrients which provides more ecologically
meaningful information. The aims of this study were to assess the
influences on the receiving environment of wastewater discharges to
a shallow estuarine system. Changes in receiving water and sediment
quality analyses were compared with biological impacts measured as
a consequence of shrimp farm and sewage effluent discharges. Water
quality and sediment parameters measured included chlorophyll a,
total suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, dissolved
nutrients, salinity, and sediment organic content. Biological
indicator monitoring consisted of analysis of amino acid
composition, tissue nitrogen (N) content and stable isotope ratio
of nitrogen in sea grasses, mangroves and macro algae.
Distribution of Native and Alien Freshwater Decapod Crustacean
Species in the South of Iraq
MURTADA D. NASER, MALIK H. ALI & AMAAL G. YASSER
Department of Marine Biology, Marine Science Centre, University of
Basrah, Basrah, Iraq
Six species of freshwater decapod crustacean species have been
found in the Shatt Al- Arab waterways in southern Iraq. Four are
native (Atyaephyra desmaresti mesopotamica,
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
Caridina babaulti basrensis, Chiromantes boulengeri and Potamon
mesopotamicum) and two are alien (Macrobrachium nipponense and
Eriocheir sinensis). Atyaephyra desmaresti mesopotamica and C.
babaulti basrensis are the most widespread species in the south of
Iraq. The distribution of Ch. boulengeri and P. mesopotamicum is
restricted to the upper stream of Shatt Al-Arab river with salinity
less than 0.7 ppt, both species are missed at the main stream south
of Shatt Al-Arab where the salinity range to be 1.2 to 2.5 ppt. The
presence of alien species is an increasing problem: M. nipponense
was found at new sites, reaching the upper part of Shatt Al-Arab
while E. sinensis recorded in Shatt Al-Basrah in 2006, extending
its distribution recently to the upper stretches of the Shatt
Al-Arab river.
Genetic Diversity of Freshwater Crabs of the Genus Ptychophallus
(Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae)
in the Cordillera Central in Costa Rica
THEO POETTINGER & CHRISTOPH D. SCHUBART
Fakultät für Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg,
Germany
For the identification of the genetic-geographical structure and
the documentation of possible cryptic endemism, the DNA from the
mitochondrial CO1 and 16S rRNA genes of 65 Costa Rican freshwater
crabs of the genus Ptychophallus was sequenced. 62 animals of the
species Ptychophallus montanus were collected from the upper
regions of the Río Barranca river system (Alajuela/Puntarenas) in
Costa Rica and examined and compared molecularly- genetically. For
phylogenetic reconstructions, additionally numerous 16S-sequences
were obtained and evaluated from further neotropical fresh water
crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae. The analysis of the
CO1-region showed an amazing uniformity of the individual
sequences, with exception of a population from a small brook in the
proximity of the Quebrada Palmital (N 10° 09,320´ W 84° 37,150´),
which very probably represents another species. In addition, with
the sequences from the 16S rRNA a consistent partitioning of the
individuals of the Río Barranca into two genetically different
subpopulations became evident based on a single point mutation. The
possibly endemic character of the population at the Quebrada
Palmital would have to be further examined, before possible
preventive measures are postulated for these waters.
22
Differences in Population Genetic Structure of Freshwater Crabs
(Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae) from two Caribbean Islands
NICOLE T. RIVERA & CHRISTOPH D. SCHUBART
Fakultät für Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg,
Germany
The Greater Antilles are classified as a biodiversity hotspot due
to their high species richness and increased endemism. Within
islands, isolated freshwater systems can be considered insular
systems, in which morphological convergence or stasis may result in
cryptic speciation. Freshwater crabs are thus great model organisms
to investigate the biodiversity of the Greater Antilles or other
islands. Nevertheless, the three islands Puerto Rico, Hispaniola
and Cuba only exhibit one to four described, endemic species of the
genus Epilobocera of the family Pseudothelphusidae. The
Pseudothelphusidae represent a family of real freshwater crabs
inhabiting mostly mountain streams in the tropical belt of the
Neotropics. The genus Epilobocera is said to be early derived
within the Pseudothelphusidae, which may suggest that the Greater
Antilles are the cradle of these freshwater crabs.
In this study we compared the phylogeography of two species of the
genus Epilobocera: E. haytensis from Hispaniola and E. sinuatifrons
from Puerto Rico by analyzing the mitochondrial gene NADH 1 of over
300 individuals from both islands. The results show poorly
structured intraspecific diversity and thus widespread gene flow
for both species and lack of cryptic speciation. Consequently these
species do not seem to be restricted to their watersheds and their
distribution is not limited by terrestrial barriers. This is
supported by the presence of a perforated area, a so-called
“pseudolung” which is an obvious adaptation to a semi-terrestrial
life. It can be recognized that most differences in population
genetic structure are caused through isolation by distance.
Phylogeography and Postglacial Dispersion of the Noble
Crayfish
(Astacus astacus)
Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau,
76829 Landau, Germany
Severe climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene resulted in
great changes in species distribution areas characterised by
contractions and expansion of geographical ranges. Southern Europe,
especially the Iberic peninsula, Italy and the Balkans, served as a
refuge during cold periods for many animal groups. Under temperate
conditions a northward spread
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
of many species was possible. In general, the centres of range
expansions or glacial refuges are characterized by higher levels of
population differentiation and more recently colonised areas by a
rather homogenous gene pool.
To obtain a picture of large-scale differences and to reconstruct
the phylogeography of the endangered European crayfish species
Astacus astacus, we analysed partial sequences of two mitochondrial
genes (16s rRNA, COI) from specimens of the main European river
basins. Among 60 crayfish stocks and 300 specimens 12 haplotypes of
16s rRNA and 25 haplotypes of COI could be identified. One
haplotype of each gene was dominant whereas all other haplotypes
were less frequent in the studied populations. Resulting
phylogeographical patterns were in accordance with the following
expectations: 1. A glacial refuge in the Balkans served as source
for postglacial recolonisation of central
Europe. 2. A north- and westward spread after the last ice age took
place along the Danube basin. 3. Due to repeated founder effects,
haplotype diversity was reduced from southern to northern
Europe. Furthermore, we assume a second refuge, but a more detailed
study is needed to
confirm this assumption. An additional attempt to identify
autochthonous noble crayfish populations in central
Europe turned out to be difficult due to a high rate of artificial
translocation of stocks for hundreds of years.
Testicular Yellow Pigments in a Freshwater Crab: an Ultrastructure
Study
A. SHYLA SUGANTHI1, G. ANILKUMAR2 & V. GANAPIRIYA3
1Department of Zoology, Holy Cross College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu,
India.
2School of Biotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu,
India. 3Department of Zoology, Khadir Mohideen College,
Pattukottai, Tamil Nadu, India
The reproductive system in the freshwater crab Parasesarma sp.
appears lemon-yellow in colour all the way through, from the
testicular lobes up to the ejaculatory duct, excepting the
accessory glands that appear milky white in colour. Smear
preparations of the seminal plasma show the presence of a yellow
hue, apparently due to the presence of pigmentation. Our
histological studies reveal that the colouration seen in the
seminal plasma is caused by the presence of crystalline structures
that are secreted by the inner testicular lining. The epithelial
lining shows the occurrence of yellow granules within its
cytoplasm. As these granules reach the testicular lumen, they are
supposed to be transformed into flakes which display its presence
in the close proximity to the spermatocytes, spermatids and
spermatozoa; rarely though, these flakes are seen also in
association with the spermatogonial cells. At the anterior vas
deferens (AVD), the pigments are seen aggregated into groups along
with the spermatozoa. In the middle vas deferens (MVD), the
pigments are encased within the
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Decapods
spermatophores, seen interspersed among the spermatozoa; the
pigments appear hardly in the seminal plasma. It is obvious that
these structures impart yellow colouration to the semen. Under
electron microscope, the spermatophores exhibit the presence of
electron dense filamentous structures, apparently representing the
pigments. Interestingly, the spermatozoa are also seen surrounded
by a thick layer of electron dense material, possibly derived from
these pigments. Existence of pigmentation, to our knowledge, has
not been reported in any of the crustacean seminal plasma so far.
The semen from a number of Friesian bulls, however, has been
reported to be yellow and the pigment responsible for the yellow
hue has been identified as riboflavin that produced a green
fluorescence. The occurrence of flavins has been reported in human
seminal vesicular secretions as well, the exact function of which
is not clear. However, with its probable role as constituent part
of the coenzymes (FAD, FMN), the riboflavin’s are believed to take
part in (seminal) metabolism.
A morphological phylogeny of the family Pseudothelphusidae
JOSE LUIS VILLALOBOS & *FERNANDO ALVAREZ
Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Cd.
Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacan Apartado postal 70-153,
C. P. 04510, México, D. F., México.
Among the freshwater decapods that are distributed across America,
the crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae constitute one of the
most important groups due to their distribution and
diversification. More than 280 species of pseudothelphusids are now
recognized, organized in 41 genera, five tribes and two
subfamilies. Although the taxonomic studies on this family began
early in the XIX century with the description of Thelphusa dentata
LATREILLE 1825, until now there isn’t a study analyzing the
phylogenetic relationships among the tribes, genera and species. A
recent study on the phylogeny of the tribe Pseudothelphusini shows
a paraphyletic structure. Other tribes in the subfamily
Pseudothelphusinae, Hypolobocerini, Potamocarcinini and
Strengerianini, that include a large diversity of morphologies of
the first male gonopod, with a wide geographical distribution from
southern Mexico to central South America, have not been either the
subject of a phylogenetic analysis. Our study is a preliminary
cladistic exercise to establish homologue characters that support
the cohesion of the tribes as monophyletic taxa inside the
subfamily Pseudothelphusinae. The morphological revision of the
type species of each one of the 41 genera in the subfamily produced
64 characters and 248 character states. The majority of those
traits were obtained from the complex gonopod morphology, and
additional characters were derived from the outline of the merus of
the third maxilliped and the length of the exopodite. Preliminary
results show that several genera from southern Mexico and Central
America are not correctly assigned to a tribe and the relationships
between taxa in those areas and in northern South America need to
be re-evaluated.
25
Ageing in decapod crustaceans, with Particular Emphasis on
Freshwater Crayfish
GÜNTER VOGT
University of Heidelberg, Germany
The Decapoda include more than 10.000 species, have maximum adult
sizes of ~1 cm to 4 m, inhabit many different habitats and display
a broad variety of life styles. Accordingly, they have developed
many different life history and ageing patterns. Life span ranges
from ~1 year in some natantian shrimps to ~100 years in the
American lobster. In wild populations, age determination is quite
difficult because decapods have no durable growth-ring bearing
structures like bivalves or fishes that could provide exact
information on their age and life- history dynamics. At present,
the most reliable ageing method is determination of the lipofuscin
content in specific areas of the brain, which has been shown to be
superior to body size-based techniques like analysis of
length-frequency data. However, precise data on longevity in
decapods can only be obtained in captivity or by mark and
recapture.
The Decapoda offer suitable research subjects for almost all topics
of biogerontology. For instance, indeterminately growing species,
which account for the majority of the decapods, show negligible
senescence. Therefore, they are suitable to investigate how to
escape from senescence, the age-related decline in structural and
functional status. In contrast, determinately growing species like
some spider crabs are suitable to study organismic, tissular and
behavioural senescence in detail. All decapods can escape from
mechanical senescence by moulting, which not only renews the
cuticle but also enhances the efficiency of the external sense
organs and the masticatory and filtering structures of the stomach.
Comparison of cold adapted species from polar regions with their
closest tropical relatives enables studying of the influence of
temperature on longevity, and comparison of troglobionts and their
epigean relatives provides information on the relationship of
caloric restriction and longevity. The long-lived lobsters are
suitable to search for genes promoting long life.
The clonal marbled crayfish proved particularly suitable to
investigate the dependency of ageing and longevity from non-genetic
factors like stochastic developmental variation, allocation of
metabolic resources, damage and repair, caloric restriction and
social stress. This crayfish was detected in the mid 1990s and is a
parthenogenetic form of Procambarus fallax native to Florida and
Georgia. It is an emerging laboratory model for development,
toxicology and epigenetics that can produce up to 400 genetically
identical siblings per batch. It is easily cultured, has an adult
size of 4-9 cm, a generation time of 6-7 months and an average life
span of 2-3 years. The marbled crayfish is also suitable to examine
alterations of the epigenetic code with increasing age and to
identify mechanisms that keep stem cells active until old
age.
Indeterminately growing decapods are highly resistant to
age-related diseases inclusive of cancer. This property is probably
related to their ability to maintain stem cell activity until old
age, to isolate pathologically transformed and neoplastic tissue
areas by melanization and encapsulation and to effectively detoxify
environmental toxicants and toxic metabolites by metallothioneins,
cytochrome P450, anti-oxidative enzymes and free radical
scavengers. In the protected environment of the laboratory, more
than 80% of the mortality in adult marbled crayfish is attributable
to unsuccessful moulting.
Knowledge on ageing in decapods is not only of academic interest
but also of practical relevance. In crustacean fisheries, it helps
to correctly estimate the fishery potential of wild
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
populations, and in aquaculture, it is useful to optimize grow-out
and reproduction strategies of highly valuable strains. Some of the
ageing phenomena recorded in decapods may even have a good
potential for the development of anti-ageing interventions in
humans, for instance, the use of astaxanthin as a highly effective
scavenger of free radicals.
Offspring Production of Freshwater Crabs from Amazon Region and
Central America (Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae)
INGO S. WEHRTMANN1,2, CÉLIO MAGALHÃES3, PATRICIO HERNÁEZ2,4,5
& FERNANDO L. MANTELATTO6
1Museo de Zoología of the Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa
Rica, 2060 San José, Costa Rica. 2Unidad de Investigación Pesquera
y Acuicultura (UNIP) of the Centro de Investigación en
Ciencias
del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José,
Costa Rica. 3Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biologia Aquática,
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia, Manaus, Brasil.
4Museo del Mar, Universidad Arturo Prat, Casilla 121, Iquique,
Chile. 5Program of Post Graduation on Comparative Biology – FFCLRP
(USP), Brazil.
6Laboratory of Bioecology and Crustacean Systematics, Department of
Biology, FFCLRP – University of São Paulo (USP), Program of Post
Graduation on Comparative Biology – FFCLRP (USP),
Av. Bandeirantes – 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo,
Brazil.
Freshwater crabs constitute an important component of the fauna of
limnic environments, and thePseudothelphusidae are the most diverse
of the two true freshwater crab families in the Neotropics.
Considering the lack of information regarding reproductive features
of neotropical freshwater crabs, we studied egg production and the
presence of juveniles carried by females of two pseudothelphusids
from the Amazon region (Kingsleya latifrons, K. ytupora) and one of
Central America (Potamocarcinus magnus). The two Kingsleya species
produced relatively few (56-114) and large eggs (1.9 – 3.7 mm),
typical for species with an abbreviated or direct development.
Recently-produced eggs were substantially larger in K. latifrons
(mean 2.83 mm) when compared to those of K. ytupora (mean 1.87 mm);
however, at the end of the embryogenesis, mean egg diameter was
similar in both species. Therefore, it is assumed that hatchlings
in both species should have a similar size. A brief description of
attached juveniles of K. ytupora is provided. The number of eggs
increased significantly with female size in both pseudothelphusids
crabs; however, the mean egg number was higher in K. ytupora (80 ±
18.1 eggs) than in K. latifrons (73 ± 10.6 eggs). The number of
juveniles carried by the females varied between 30 (K. ytupora) and
179 (P. magnus); two size groups of juveniles were found, which
indicates that the offspring cling to their mother for a prolonged
period of time. There was no significant loss of eggs and
juveniles; it is assumed that parental care diminishes the loss of
offspring. We compiled the available information of reproductive
aspects from freshwater crabs: egg diameter was in the range of 2
and 3 mm, independent of female size and fecundity, and reported
egg number varied between 9 and 417.
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
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On the Freshwater and Terrestrial Crabs of Pulau Natuna Besar,
Indonesia
DARREN C. J. YEO1, DAISY WOWOR2 & PETER K. L. NG1
1Department of Biological Sciences, National University of
Singapore.
2Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Indonesian Institute of Science
(LIPI)
The brachyuran fauna of Pulau Natuna Besar (= Pulau Bunguran), a
remote island in the
middle of the South China Sea, midway between Peninsular Malaysia
and Borneo, has not been well studied, with only a single primary
freshwater crab species, Balssiathelphusa natunaensis
(Gecarcinucidae) recorded to date. In 2002, we conducted a survey
of the inland brachyuran fauna of the island. A variety of habitats
were sampled, ranging from waterfalls and freshwater hill streams
to the forest floor to coastal mangroves. We document the
freshwater and terrestrial crabs encountered, with notes on their
habitat and behavior. Our study raises the number of species known
from the island to seven, as we report six new records viz.,
Cardisoma carnifex (Gecarcinidae), Episesarma chentongense
(Sesarmidae), two new species of Sesarmidae (Geosesarma sp.,
Labuanium sp.), Parathelphusa maculata (Gecarcinucidae), and one
new genus and species of Potamidae. The new genus and species is
clearly related to Isolapotamon and Allopotamon but differs in a
number of unusual external and gonopod features. We also document
the re-discovery of Balssiathelphusa natunaensis, previously only
known from its original description by RICHARD BOTT in 1970.
28
Poster presentations
30
Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Cd.
Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacan Apartado postal 70-153,
C. P. 04510, México, D. F., México.
The crayfish of the family Cambaridae area widely distributed
decapod group in Mexico. Many of the 57 recognized species cover
very small distribution areas, often restricted to one or two
localities. Few are the species that are widely distributed, such
as Cambarellus montezumae in central Mexico, or Procambarus llamasi
from the Yucatán peninsula. We analyzed a data base containing more
than 1400 records of all the species present in Mexico. The country
was divided in cells of 1º of latitude by 1º of longitude to map
all the records. Following Crisp et al. (2001) proposal we compare
species richness in each cell with a simple index of endemism and
then with a corrected one where species richness has been
considered. The results show that the corrected endemism index is
relatively independent of species richness in three regions of
Mexico and that high endemism areas are not necessarily the same as
the high diversity areas. We discuss what conservation policies can
be derived from these results in the light of the rapid
deterioration of freshwater habitats throughout Mexico.
Morphological Staging of Maturation of the Freshwater Shrimp
Atyaephyra
desmarestii (MILLET, 1831) s.l. (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae)
CHRYSSA ANASTASIADOU & IOANNIS D. LEONARDOS
Laboratory of Zoology, Department of Biological Applications and
Technology, University of Ioannina, 451 10, Ioannina, Greece.
Atyaephyra desmarestii (MILLET, 1831) s.l. is a freshwater shrimp,
which has a wide distribution in Europe, North Africa, and the
Middle East. Species populations from different areas of its
zoogeographical distribution are under taxonomic investigation.
Additionally, the bionomic studies on the species provide us
important and useful information on the reproduction, larval
development and population dynamics. Under this framework, new and
detailed information on the morphological staging of the different
phases for juveniles, immature, female and male mature individuals
of A. desmarestii s.l. is given for the first time. Sampling was
carried out in Louros River, near Flaboura (39
ο 3.745 Ν, 20
ο 46.312 Ε, NW
21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
Greece). Specimens of A. desmarestii s.l. were collected by means
of a hand net with a frame of 30 cm X 35 cm and a mesh size of 2 mm
and preserved in situ in 4% formalin solution. The sex was
identified through stereo-microscopic inspection of the first and
second pairs of pleopods. The study of the collected material
revealed eight phases; two phases for juveniles, three phases for
immature and three phases for the mature male and female specimens.
In the first and second juvenile phases there is no sex
discrimination. The main morphological discriminative characters of
these phases are the rostral formula and antennules’ formation.
Secondary discriminative characters are the setation of antennae
and appendix interna length of the 2
nd pleopod. In the next three immature phases, the sex
discrimination is possible. The
main discriminative characters of these phases are the rostral
formula and the sexual organs’ morphology. Finally, the last three
phases conclude the mature male and female specimens. The main
discriminative characters of these phases are the number of
aesthetascs and pereiopods’ setation.
Ecological Impacts of Shrimp Effluent in Coastal Water
H. AZARBAD, M. MODANLOW, A. JAVANSHIR & M. SHAPOORI
Department of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences,University of
Tehran, Faculty of Natural Resources, Karaj, Iran
Intensive shrimp aquaculture systems rely on high protein feed
pellets to produce high
rates of growth, but a large proportion of the pellets are not
assimilated by the shrimps. Approximately 10% of the feed is
dissolved and 15% remains uneaten. The remaining 75% is ingested,
but 50% is excreted as metabolic waste, producing large amounts of
gaseous, dissolved and particulate waste. Subsequently, the
effluent contains elevated concentrations of dissolved nutrients
(primarily ammonia), plankton and other suspended solids. The
dissolved nutrients and organic material in shrimp ponds stimulate
rapid growth of bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. These
untreated wastes are usually discharged directly into the
environment, where they may enhance eutrophication, organic
enrichment and turbidity of the local waterways. Concerns about the
possible adverse impacts of aquaculture discharge have become a
risk factor for the industry. This has prompted efforts to develop
cost-effective methods of effluent treatment. The use of filter
feeding bivalves such as oysters to consume phytoplankton,
zooplankton, and bacteria, and macroalgae to assimilate the
remaining dissolved nutrients may prove to be an efficient and
economically viable alternative for improving the water quality of
shrimp farm discharges. In addition to filtering organic food
particles, oysters can also improve the quality of pond effluent by
reducing the concentration of inorganic suspended solids.
32
Biogeographic Range of the Genera Potamon and Himalayapotamon -
molecular and morphological aspects
DIRK BRANDIS
Zoologisches Museum der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel,
Hegewischstrasse 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany
The freshwater-crab genus Potamon is widely distributed in
south-eastern Europe and the Middle East. In the Himalayas it is
replaced by the genus Himalayapotamon. The eastern distributional
margin of Potamon as well as the western distributional margins of
Himalayapotamon remained unclear due to taxonomical problems and a
poorly known crab fauna from the very western slopes of the
Himalayas. A careful re-examination of museum material and new
collections from Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan now allow a more
detailed picture of the distribution of Potamon and Himalayapotamon
and the clarifying of relevant biogeographic margins.
Progress on the Assessment of the Taxonomic Status of the
Circum-
Mediterranean Genus Atyaephyra DE BRITO CAPELLO, 1867 (Decapoda:
Atyidae)
M. CHRISTODOULOU1, A. KOUKOURAS1 & M. THESSALOU-LEGAKI2
1Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Faculty of Sciences,
Aristoteleio University of Thessaloniki, 541 24
Thessaloniki, Greece. 2Department of Zoology-Marine Biology, School
of Biology, Faculty of Sciences,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Athens,
Greece.
A review of older (e.g., HOLTHUIS, 1961) and recent studies
(ANASTASIADOU et al.,
2006 2008) indicates that the taxonomic status of the
circum-Mediterranean genus Atyaephyra is still confusing and
uncertain. Older and recent taxa already assigned to the genus are
inadequately described and characterised by overlapping
distinguishing features.
In order to clarify the taxonomic status of the genus Atyaephyra an
extensive study of numerous adult specimens from many different
localities of Europe and the circum- Mediterranean region is
currently in progress. In all these specimens all main
morphological features are being examined and compared.
Based on the analysis that has been carried out so far, it has been
ascertained that the genus Atyaephyra includes species that have
evolved only recently (partly cryptic). Furthermore, the analysis
of the main morphological features has revealed new, non-
overlapping or partly overlapping distinguishing features that can
be used to distinguish the specimens from different populations.
Based on these features, the following six different taxa can be
distinguished: Atyaephyra desmarestii (MILLET, 1831), Atyaephyra
n.sp. 1, Atyaephyra
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
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n.sp. 2, Atyaephyra n.sp. 3, Atyaephyra n.sp. 4 and Atyaephyra
desmarestii orientalis complex.
The species Atyaephyra rosiana DE BRITO CAPELLO, 1867 should be
considered as a synonym of A. desmarestii (MILLET, 1831), while A.
rosiana (DE BRITO CAPELLO, 1867) redescribed by ANASTASIADOU et al.
(2008), should be placed as a synonym of Atyaephyra n.sp. 1.
The distinction of the six above taxa is mainly based on the
following morphological features: (a) presence or absence of
rostral teeth behind the orbit; (b) number of seta rows on
basipodial lobe of maxilla; (c) number of spines on propodus of
third maxilliped; (d) number of dorsolateral spine pairs on telson;
(e) number of spines on merus of third and forth pereiopods and (f)
shape of antennular lobe.
Molecular and Morphometric Diversity Following
Adaptive Radiation of Freshwater Crabs in the Malili lakes
(Sulawesi, Indonesia)
FLORIAN KOLBINGER1, FABIAN HERDER2
2Kurator Ichtyologie, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander
Koenig, 53113 Bonn, Germany The Malili lakes are located in the
central highlands of the Indonesian island Sulawesi.
These lakes are considered ancient limnic systems and thus a very
interesting setting for studying differentiation and speciation
processes. The last taxonomic revision of freshwater crabs from
Sulawesi revealed the existence of five freshwater crab species
(Potamoidea: Gecarcinucidae) in three genera within the three large
lakes of the system, Matano, Mahalona, and Towuti. One of these
species, the morphologically and ecologically well defined
Nautilothelphusa zimmeri BALSS, 1933 is the only one encountered in
all three lakes. Mitochondrial genetic data from the 16S rRNA and
the cytochrome oxidase I gene demonstrate that two of these lake
populations (from Mahalona and Towuti) are more closely related to
the sympatric Parathelphusa ferruginea CHIA & NG 2006 than to
their conspecifics from Lake Matano. The present study investigates
the relationship of N. zimmeri and P. ferruginea based on nuclear
DNA by using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)
technique. The AFLP markers allow comparison of a great amount of
unlinked nuclear loci and therefore constitute an excellent tool to
investigate phylogenetic relationships within species flocks.
Furthermore, we are also exploring the use of geometric
morphometrics to detect possible variation in carapace shape of the
above mentioned populations of N. zimmeri.
34
Stereoscopic 3D Documentation of Crayfish with a Simple Flatbed
Scanner
VERENA KUTSCHERA1, CAROLIN HAUG1, JOACHIM T. HAUG1,
ANDREAS MAAS1, CHRISTOPH CHUCHOLL2 & DIETER WALOSZEK1
1Biosystematic Documentation, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstr. 20,
89081 Ulm, Germany. 2Fisheries Research Station, Lake Constance,
Argenweg 50/1, 88085 Langenargen, Germany. & Dept.
Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11,
89069 Ulm, Germany
Three-dimensional documentation of animals is often an expensive
and time-consuming
procedure. We present a fast method, which is performable with a
common flatbed scanner. The specimen is simply scanned two times in
different positions: after the first scan the specimen is moved
sidewards about 4–8 centimeters from its first position. With this,
two images displaying the animal are created. These two images are,
in fact, taken from two different perspectives due to the
non-parallel optics of flatbed scanners. The resulting images can
easily be processed into stereoscopic images. This method also
works well for dissected parts of a specimen. Due to the
high-resolution images produced by flatbed scanners today, this
documentation technique is simple to perform, and it results in
high-resolution 3D images. As an example for the applicability of
this method, we documented representatives of all species of
freshwater crayfish occurring in Germany, i.e., Astacus astacus, A.
leptodactylus, Austropotamobius pallipes, Au. torrentium,
Orconectes limosus, O. immunis, Pacifastacus leniusculus,
Procambarus clarkii, and Procambarus sp. Specimens of all these
species are presented in ventral and dorsal view as stereoscopic
images created with a common flatbed scanner to emphasise the
advantages of this documentation method.
Freshwater crabs from Costa Rica: diagnostics, geographical
distribution, and a key for their identification
CÉLIO MAGALHÃES1, INGO S. WEHRTMANN2,
LUIS RÓLIER LARA3 & FERNANDO L. MANTELATTO4
1Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Caixa Postal 478,
69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil. 2Museo de Zoología, Escuela de
Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 San José, Costa Rica
/
Unidad de Investigación Pesquera y Acuicultura (UNIP) of the Centro
de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR),
Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 San José, Costa Rica. E-mail:
3Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad-Proyecto Hidroeléctrico El
Diquís. Puntarenas, Costa Rica. 4Laboratório de Bioecologia e
Sistemática de Crustáceos, Departamento de Biologia – FFCLRP,
Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14.040-901
Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
The true freshwater crabs from Costa Rica are currently under study
for a taxonomic review of the species. Currently, there are about
17 species recorded from the country, all
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
belonging to the Pseudothelphusidae. Most of them are known from a
few, scattered records, or even from one single record. Preliminary
results of the reexamination of this material, including the type
specimens of all species, as well as the study of the large
collection from the Museo de Zoología, Universidad de Costa Rica,
and from other related international collections, which comprises
an abundant series of specimens recently collected in the southern
region, led us to postulate that the Costa Rican pseudothelphusid
fauna might be constituted by at least four genera (Achlidon
SMALLEY, Allacanthos SMALLEY, Ptychophallus SMALLEY, and
Potamocarcinus H. MILNE EDWARDS) with 14 valid species. The generic
status of Pseudothelphusa puntarenas HOBBS must be reevaluated, and
at least three species of Ptychophallus will be synonymized. A new
species of the genus Allacanthos from the Puntarenas Province is
currently under description. Revised diagnoses, illustrations of
the species, and a key for their identification will be provided.
The geographical distribution of the species is updated, based on
the new material examined; moreover, we will illustrate the new
distributional records for each species in Costa Rica.
Preliminary Evidences on Taxonomic Problems of the Freshwater Prawn
species of the Genus Cryphiops
(Decapoda, Palaemonidae) by Molecular Information
FERNANDO L. MANTELATTO1, LEONARDO G. PILEGGI1, JOSE LUIS
VILLALOBOS2 & FERNANDO ALVAREZ2
1Laboratory of Bioecology and Crustacean Systematics, Department of
Biology, Faculty of Philosophy,
Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), University of São
Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes 3900, CEP 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto
(SP), Brazil.
2Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal
70-153, Mexico 04510, D. F., Mexico
The palaemonid prawns of the genus Cryphiops DANA, 1852 are
representatives of the caridean fauna and are distributed locally
throughout tropical and subtropical waters of America, with five
species assigned to the genus. During previous studies our analyses
showed that C. (Cryphiops) caementarius and C. (Bithynops)
brasiliensis are well positioned within the Macrobrachium group.
Considering the lack of phylogenetic studies on the genus
Cryphiops, we started a cooperative project aiming at analyzing the
phylogeny of the genus based on morphological and molecular
analysis. At this level of our research, the genetic divergence
between Macrobrachium species and Cryphiops corroborates this
inclusion; the preliminary levels of divergence ranged from 5.5 to
21.6% between Cryphiops and Macrobrachium species for mtDNA genes.
Pending the inclusion of all members of this genus and other
nuclear genes in our analysis, this positioning led us to
reconsider the validity of the genus and a possible necessity of
taxonomic rearrangement. Support: FAPESP; CNPq, CAPES
36
Alien Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in Northern
Germany
THURID OTTO1,2, DIRK BRANDIS2 & GÜNTHER B. HARTL1
1Zoological Institute/Population genetics, Christian-Albrechts
University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
2Zoological Museum, Christian-Albrechts University, 24105 Kiel,
Germany
The native range of the Chinese mitten crab (H. MILNE-EDWARDS 1853)
(Crustacea, Decapoda, Varunidae) reaches from the eastern pacific
coast of China to the Korean Peninsula. The species was likely
introduced with ballast water to Continental Europe in the early
20th century. Meanwhile, Eriocheir sinensis is common in German
marine and limnetic water systems and often occurs in high
population densities. Mainly in Schleswig-Holstein (Northern
Germany) this species is currently of particular interest, standing
between the contradictory contexts of ecology and economy in a
unique manner. Although several studies about some aspects of
population genetics and reproductive biology of E. sinensis already
exist, basic questions to the situation in Northern Germany haven’t
been clarified yet. This presented project is aimed at
understanding and evaluate the structure and dynamics of E.
sinensis populations in the marine and limnetic water systems of
Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany).
Genetic and Morphology Variability of Macrobrachium olfersi
(Decapoda: Palaemonidae)
NATÁLIA ROSSI, LEONARDO A. PILEGGI & FERNANDO MANTELATTO
Laboratory of Bioecology and Crustacean Systematics (LBSC),
Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters
of Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Av.
Bandeirantes 3900, CEP
14040-901, Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.
Macrobrachium olfersi is an amphidromous freshwater shrimp, with
wide geographic distribution, from the southern United States to
south Brazil. This species has great morphological variation among
individuals and is commonly misidentified with Macrobrachium
crenulatum, M. digueti, M. faustinum, M. hancocki, M. acanthochirus
and M. denticulatum. These species shows high morphological
variation during ontogenesis, including the presence of
morphotypes. Due to this fact, the variability of M. olfersi was
investigated in order to establish its taxonomic limit. For this,
we reviewed the material types, and about 100 specimens collected
throughout its distribution and / or deposited in reference
collections. In the review we have analyzed all the characters,
highlighting: the shape of the rostrum; distribution of teeth;
epistome; fourth thoracic sternite and the median process;
shape
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21st International Senckenberg-Conference: Biology of Freshwater
Decapods
of inferior orbit; cheliped adornments; the proportions of
pereiopod articles, pre-anal carina. Our results showed a big