A checklist and key to the Ivorian freshwater crabs, with the description of a new species of Liberonautes Bott, 1955 (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae)

A new freshwater crab species of Liberonautes Bott, 1955 from Mt. Tonkori in the Upper Guinea rainforest in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa is described. Liberonautes constantini n. sp. is morphologically distinct from other species of this genus found in Côte d’Ivoire and the neighboring countries. The new species is recognised by a unique combination of morphological characters of the carapace, thoracic sternum, major cheliped, and adult male first gonopod. Illustrations of L. constantini n. sp. are provided and differences from congeners found elsewhere in West Africa are discussed. The addition of L. constantini n. sp. raises the number of species of freshwater crabs known to occur in Côte d’Ivoire to seven. An updated checklist and key are provided to the Ivorian species of freshwater crabs, and their conservation status is discussed.  

[1]  P. Clark,et al.  Disentangling the Sudanonautes granulatus (Balss, 1929) species complex (Potamoidea: Potamonautidae), with the description of two new freshwater crabs from Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. , 2021, Zootaxa.

[2]  P. Clark,et al.  Endemicity of Paragonimus and paragonimiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and mapping reveals stability of transmission in endemic foci for a multi-host parasite system , 2021, PLoS neglected tropical diseases.

[3]  P. Clark,et al.  A new genus for the freshwater crab Potamonemus asylos Cumberlidge, 1993, (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Cameroon, Central Africa, with a key to the genera of the Potamonautinae , 2019, Journal of Natural History.

[4]  J. Utzinger,et al.  No Paragonimus in high-risk groups in Côte d'Ivoire, but considerable prevalence of helminths and intestinal protozoon infections , 2011, Parasites & Vectors.

[5]  J. Man On Potamon (Potamonautes) latidactylum, a new Freshwater Crab from Upper Guinea , 2010 .

[6]  W. Darwall,et al.  Freshwater crabs and the biodiversity crisis: Importance, threats, status, and conservation challenges , 2009 .

[7]  K. Adoubryn,et al.  Human paragonimiasis in Africa. , 2008, Annals of African medicine.

[8]  R. Mittermeier,et al.  Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities , 2000, Nature.

[9]  N. Cumberlidge,et al.  First record of the spiny river crab, Liberonautes chaperi (A. Milne-Edwards 1887), as second intermediate host of Paragonimus uterobilateralis in Liberia. , 1991, Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology.

[10]  R. Bott Betrachtungen über die Entwicklungsgeschichte und Verbreitung der Süsswasser-Krabben nach der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums in Genf/Schweiz , 1970 .

[11]  E. Marchand Description de deux Arthropodes nouveaux provenant du Soudan francais , 2022 .