Potamonautes isimangaliso

False bay crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
Family: Potamonautidae
Genus: Potamonautes
Species: P. isimangaliso
Binomial name
Potamonautes isimangaliso
Peer & Gouws, 2015

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. Molecular DNA analyses were required to distinguish it from the similar and rather variable P. lividus, which occurs further inland.[1]

Description

It most closely resembles P. lividus but its mtDNA differs from the former by between 7.4 and 7.8%. It is further distinguished by its unique suite of carapace characters, besides its colouration and size.[2]

Habitat

It occurs in oxygen-poor, fresh ephemeral pans.[2][3]

Sources

  1. "iSimangaliso – the place of miracles and wonders continues to amaze". iSimangaliso Newsflash. isimangaliso.com. 24 Sep 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 Peer, Nasreen; Perissinotto, Renzo; Gouws, Gavin; Miranda, Nelson A.F. (11 May 2015). "Description of a new species of Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838, from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa". ZooKeys. 503: 23–43. doi:10.3897/zookeys.503.9532. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  3. "Potamonautes isimangaliso". DNA Barcoding. Retrieved 20 July 2015.


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