''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African
freshwater crab
Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...
s in the family
Potamonautidae
Potamonautidae is a family of freshwater crabs endemic to Africa, including the islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba, Bioko, São Tomé, Príncipe and Sherbro Island. It comprises 18 extant genera and 138 extant species. ...
. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.
[Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; and Cumberlidge, N. (2014). Advances in Freshwater Decapod Systematics and Biology. Pp. 86-87. ] They are found in most freshwater habitats of the African mainland and some species are semi-
terrestrial.
[
]
Species
It contains the following species:Potamonautes amalerensis
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Rathbun, 1935)
* ''Potamonautes antheus
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Colosi, 1920)
* ''Potamonautes anchietae
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Brito Capello, 1871)
* ''Potamonautes ballayi
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1886)
* '' Potamonautes bayonianus'' (Brito Capello, 1864)
* ''Potamonautes berardi
''Potamonautes berardi'' is a species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. It is found in the Nile Basin in Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Its natural habitats are rivers and stream
A stream is a continuous body ...
'' (Audouin, 1826)
* '' Potamonautes bipartitus'' ( Hilgendorf, 1898)
* ''Potamonautes brincki
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Bott, 1960)
* ''Potamonautes calcaratus
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Gordon, 1929)
* '' Potamonautes clarus'' Gouws, Stewart & Coke, 2000
* '' Potamonautes depressus'' (Krauss, 1843)
* '' Potamonautes dybowskii'' (Rathbun, 1905)
* '' Potamonautes dentatus'' Stewart, Coke & Cook, 1995
* '' Potamonautes didieri'' (Rathbun, 1904)
* '' Potamonautes dubius'' (Brito Capello, 1864)
* '' Potamonautes ecorssei'' (Marchand, 1902)
* '' Potamonautes emini'' ( Hilgendorf, 1892)
* '' Potamonautes gerdalensis'' Bott, 1955
* '' Potamonautes granularis'' Daniels, Stewart & Gibbons, 1998
* ''Potamonautes idjiwiensis
''Potamonautes idjiwiensis'' is a species of crustacean in the family Potamonautidae. It is endemic to the island of Idjwi in Lake Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises th ...
'' (Chace, 1942)
* ''Potamonautes ignestii
''Potamonautes ignestii'' is a species of crustacean in the family Potamonautidae
Potamonautidae is a family of freshwater crabs endemic to Africa, including the islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba, Bioko, São Tomé ...
'' (Parisi, 1923)
* ''Potamonautes infravallatus
''Potamonautes infravallatus'' is a species of crustacean in the family Potamonautidae. It is endemic to Tanzania. Its natural habitat is river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea ...
'' ( Hilgendorf, 1898)
* ''Potamonautes isimangaliso
''Potamonautes isimangaliso'' is a species of freshwater crustacean in the family Potamonautidae. It is endemic to iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. Its natural habitat are the ephemeral wetlands fringing the western shores of False Bay. ...
'' (Peer & Gouws, 2015)
* '' Potamonautes jeanneli'' (Bouvier, 1921)
* ''Potamonautes johnstoni
''Potamonautes johnstoni'' is a species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. It is found in rivers in Kenya and Tanzania, with unconfirmed records from Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species' distribution in ...
'' (Miers, 1885)
* '' Potamonautes kensleyi'' Cumberlidge & Tavares, 2006
* ''Potamonautes langi
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Rathbun, 1921)
*''Potamonautes licoensis
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Daniels, Bittencourt-Silva, Muianga & Bayliss, 2020
* ''Potamonautes lirrangensis
''Potamonautes lirrangensis'', the Malawi blue crab,Dobson, M. (2004). Freshwater Crabs of Africa.'' Freshwater Forum 21: 3-26. is a species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. This common and widespread species is found in Lake Mala ...
'' (Rathbun, 1904)
* '' Potamonautes lividus'' Gouws, Stewart & Reavell, 2001
* ''Potamonautes loashiensis
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Bott, 1955
* '' Potamonautes loveni'' (Colosi, 1924)
* '' Potamonautes loveridgei'' (Rathbun, 1933)
* ''Potamonautes lueboensis
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Rathbun, 1904)
* '' Potamonautes machadoi'' Bott, 1964
* '' Potamonautes macrobrachii'' Bott, 1953
* '' Potamonautes margaritarius'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869)
* '' Potamonautes montivagus'' (Chace, 1953)
* ''Potamonautes mutandensis
''Potamonautes mutandensis'' is an endangered species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. It is found in Lake Mutanda and Lake Kivu in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République dém ...
'' (Chace, 1953)
* '' Potamonautes neumanni'' ( Hilgendorf, 1898)
* ''Potamonautes niloticus
''Potamonautes niloticus'' is a species of freshwater crab in the family Potamonautidae. It is found in the Nile Basin in Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, and Uganda. Numerous specimens of ''P. niloticus'' are known from Miocene
The Miocene ( ...
'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
* '' Potamonautes obesus'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1868)
* ''Potamonautes odhneri
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Colosi, 1924)
* ''Potamonautes paecilei
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1886)
* ''Potamonautes parvicorpus
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Daniels, Stewart & Burmeister, 2001
* '' Potamonautes parvispina'' Stewart, 1997
* '' Potamonautes perlatus'' (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
* '' Potamonautes preparvus'' (Rathbun, 1921)
* '' Potamonautes pilosus'' ( Hilgendorf, 1898)
* '' Potamonautes platycentron'' Hilgendorf, 1897
* '' Potamonautes platynotus'' (Cunnington, 1907)
* '' Potamonautes punctatus'' Bott, 1955
* '' Potamonautes raybouldi'' Cumberlidge & Vannini, 2004
* '' Potamonautes reidi'' Cumberlidge, 1999
* '' Potamonautes rodolphianus'' (Rathbun, 1909)
* '' Potamonautes rothschildi'' (Rathbun, 1909)
* '' Potamonautes rukwanzi'' Corace, Cumberlidge & Garms, 2001
* ''Potamonautes schubotzi
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Balss, 1914)
* '' Potamonautes semilunaris'' Bott, 1955
* ''Potamonautes senegalensis
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Bott, 1970
* '' Potamonautes sidneyi'' (Rathbun, 1904)
* '' Potamonautes stanleyensis'' (Rathbun, 1921)
* ''Potamonautes suprasulcatus
''Potamonautes suprasulcatus'' is a species of crustacean in the family Potamonautidae. It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towa ...
'' ( Hilgendorf, 1898)
* ''Potamonautes triangulus
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Bott, 1959
* ''Potamonautes unispinus
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' Stewart & Cook, 1998
* ''Potamonautes unisulcatus
''Potamonautes unisulcatus'' is a species of crustacean in the family Potamonautidae
Potamonautidae is a family of freshwater crabs endemic to Africa, including the islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba, Bioko, São To ...
'' (Rathbun, 1933)
* '' Potamonautes walderi'' (Colosi, 1924)
* ''Potamonautes warreni
''Potamonautes'' is a genus of African freshwater crabs in the family Potamonautidae. It is both the most widespread and most diverse genus of African freshwater crabs, including more than half the species of this continent.Yeo, C.J.; Klaus, S.; ...
'' (Calman, 1918)
* '' Potamonautes xiphoidus'' Reed & Cumberlidge, 2006
One extant species is also known from the fossil record;
Distribution
''Potamonautes'' are restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
and the Nile Basin, with more than 30 species in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
(none on Madagascar, the Seychelles and other offshore African islands), more than 20 in the Congo Basin
The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...
region, 20 in Southern Africa, 6 in northeast Africa and 5 in West Africa.[ Although the genus includes common and widespread species, others have very restricted ranges of occurrence.][ For example, ''P. dubious'' is found only in limited parts of the ]Kunene River
The Cunene (Portuguese spelling) or Kunene (common Namibian spelling) is a river in Southern Africa. It flows from the Angola highlands south to the border with Namibia. It then flows west along the border until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It ...
and upper Zambezi River in Southern Africa.[C.Michael Hogan. 2012]
''Kunene River''. eds. P.Saundry & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC.
/ref>
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1384585
Potamoidea
Decapod genera
Extant Late Cretaceous first appearances
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot