Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Parathelphusidae)
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J. South Asian nat. Hist., ISSN 1022-0828. April, 1995. Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 129-174; 36 figs. © Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, 95 Cotta Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka. A revision of the Sri Lankan montane crabs of the genus Perbrinckia Bott, 1969 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Parathelphusidae) Peter K. L. Ng * Abstract The taxonomy of the montane freshwater crabs of the genus Perbrinckia Bott, 1969 (Parathelphusidae) is revised. The identity of the type species, P. enodis (Kingsley, 1880) is clarified and probably most, if not all previous records of this species are incorrect. Ten species of Perbrinckia are now recognised from the highlands of Sri Lanka, viz. P enodis sensu stricto, and nine new species: P sanguinea, P. callista, P. glabra, P. punctata, P. integra, P. scitula, P. venusta, P. cracens and P armata. Introduction The freshwater crab fauna of Sri Lanka (= Ceylon) is one of the better reported ones, and includes several overviews and revisions, notably those by Roux (1915), Fernando (1960), Bott (1970a) and Pretzmann (1973). In spite of this, only seven species are known to date (Bott, 1970a, 1970b; Ng, 1994). In June 1992, the au thor and Rohan Pethiyagoda (Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka) spent a week making a series of collections of freshwater crabs throughout parts of the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Studies of this material showed that there was a number of undescribed species. The Wildlife Heritage Trust subsequently made more extensive collections throughout the island which demonstrated that the number of freshwater crab species known from Sri Lanka has been greatly under-estimated. This is the first in a series of papers which will eventually completely revise the freshwater crab fauna of Sri Lanka. The genus revised here is the semi terrestrial montane genus Perbrinckia Bott, 1969. This genus, currently re garded as monotypic with only one species, P. enodis (Kingsley, 1880), is now shown to contain ten species, nine of which are undescribed. * Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 0511, Republic of Singapore. P.K.L. Ng Materials and methods The terms used essentially follow those by Ng (1988). The abbreviations G1 and G2 are for the male first and second pleopods respectively. Measurements (in millimetres) are of the carapace width and length respectively Specimens examined are deposited in the Zoological Reference Collection (ZRC), Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore; and the Phila delphia Academy of Natural Sciences (PANS). Specimens collected by the Wild life Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka (WHT) carry their own collection codes, and the specimens were eventually transferred to the ZRC. Taxonomic account Family Parathelphusidae Alcock, 1910 Genus Perbrinckia Bott, 1969 Perbrinckia Bott, 1969: 362; Bott, 1970a: 638; Bott, 1970b: 64. Type species: Thelphusa enodis Kingsley, 1880, by original designation. Diagnosis Carapace oval-shaped; dorsal surfaces smooth, convex to very convex; epigastric cristae low to very low; postorbital cristae hardly or not discernible; anterolateral margin with one epibranchial tooth which may be very low to almost undiscernible; frontal median triangle indistinct to well formed; dorsal margin merely bent downwards or distinctly cristate. Sternites 1 and 2 fused; sutures between sternites 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 interrupted laterally Male abdomen broadly T-shaped. G1 terminal and sub terminal segments clearly demarcated. G2 with distal segment 0.2-0.7 times length of basal segment. Taxonomic remarks This genus was originally established by Bott (1969) for a poorly known species, Thelphusa enodis Kingsley, 1880, from Sri Lanka. The genus was defined by its lack of epibranchial teeth, the frontal median triangle being incomplete, with the upper margin non-cristate, and with the G1 terminal segment slender and relatively long (Bott, 1969,1970a, b). Bott (1970b) subsequently transferred three Sundaic species to Perbrinckia, viz. Geothelphusa kuhli De Man, 1883 (Java), G. modesta De Man, 1892 (Java) and G. loxophthalma De Man, 1892 (Borneo). Ng (1989) transferred the three Sundaic species to a new genus, Terrathelphusa, and subsequently described a fourth species, T. adipis, from Borneo (Ng & Wowor, 1990). The genus Perbrinckia sensu stricto thus reverted back to monotypy. According to Bott (1970a, b), two families of freshwater crabs are known from Sri Lanka, Parathelphusidae and Sundathelphusidae. The family Sundathelphusidae has only one genus, Perbrinckia Bott, 1969. This family oth erwise occurs in the Sunda and Sahul shelves and their associated islands. Ng (1988,1990,1991), Ng & Wowor (1990) and Ng & Stuebing (1989) have queried the validity of the Sundathelphusidae, noting that none of the characters cited by Bott for the family were reliable. There are in fact, no major differences be tween the families Sundathelphusidae and Parathelphusidae, and the author 130 J. South Asian nat. Hist. Revision of the genus P e r b r in c k ia Figure 1. Perbrinckia enodis (Kingsley, 1880). Lectotype female (14.4 by 11.0 mm) (PAN 3098), dorsal view. here regards the Sundathelphusidae as a junior subjective synonym of Parathel phusidae. Perbrinckia enodis (Kingsley, 1880) (Figs. 1,2) Thelphusa enodis Kingsley, 1880: 36 (Ceylon). Potamon enodis - De Man, 1898: 436 (list only). Potamon (Geothelphusa) enodis - Rathbun, 1905: 218 (type specimen examined). Potamon (Geotelphusa) enode - Alcock, 1910: 59 (list only). Perbrinckia enodis - Bott, 1969: 362 (type species designation only). Lectotype (present designation): female (14.4 by 11.0 mm) (PAN 3098), Ceylon. Diagnosis Carapace surfaces relatively smooth, epigastric cristae low, rugose; external or bital tooth broadly triangular, outer margin convex, almost 3 times length of short inner margin; epibranchial tooth distinct, cleft distinct; posterolateral re gions with weak but distinct oblique striae; frontal median triangle indistinct, dorsal margin only a crenulated fold, edges not fused with lateral margins. Ischium of third maxilliped rectangular (length 1.6 times width); antero-external angle of merus not sub-auriculiform. Inner margin of chelipedal carpus with one large tooth and 1-3 small sub-basal granules. G l, G2 and colour not known. Taxonomic remarks There is a good deal of confusion as to what is the "real" Perbrinckia enodis. Kingsley (1880), in describing the species, provided only a very brief descrip- Vol. 1., Nlo. 2. 131 P.K.L. Ng Figure 2. Perbrinckia enodis, lectotype female (14.4 by 11.0 mm) (PAN 3098). A, carapace; B, left third maxilliped; C, left chelipedal carpus; D, left chela; E, frontal margin; F, posterior margin of epistome; G, sternum. Scales = 1.0 mm. 132 J. South Asian nat. Hist. Revision of the genus P e r b r in c k ia tion of the species without any figures. He did not provide any information on size or indicate how many specimens he had. The detailed provenance of the specimen was not known, the only accompanying data was that it was from somewhere in "Ceylon". Rathbun (1905) examined a female type specimen in the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, redescribed the species in more detail and figured its frontal margin and merus of the third maxilliped. Mean while, Henderson (1893: 383) and Roux (1915: 381) reported this species on the basis of more recent specimens they had from Ceylon. The species was not fully illustrated until Fernando (1960) provided a redescription on the basis of speci mens he had from central Sri Lanka. Bott (1970a, b) followed Fernando in as cribing specimens from various parts of the central highlands in Sri Lanka to P. enodis. As the species was originally described so briefly and without any figures, and the subsequent descriptions and figures by Rathbun (1905) were insuffi cient by modern standards, the identifications of P. enodis by Fernando (1960) and Bott (1970a, b) (who did not examine the type and assumed that there was only one species in Sri Lanka) must thus be held suspect. The type has been re-examined in this study, and it does not conform with any of the descriptions and records of "P. enodis" published since Kingsley (1880) (with the exception of Rathbun (1905)). Although Fernando (1960: 205) noted that the type female was an immature specimen, this is not the case - the type specimen is a mature female, but being as such, the taxonomically important male abdomen and gonopods are unfortunately not available. The type speci men of Thelphusa enodis on hand is hereby designated the lectotype of the spe cies as it is not known for certain how many specimens Kingsley (1880) actually had. In the form of the carapace and frontal margin however, Thelphusa enodis is almost certainly a member of the genus Perbrinckia as defined by Bott (1969). There is certainly no reason at present to suspect that P. enodis is generically different from the other Perbrinckia species once males of this species are found and described. Unfortunately, P. enodis sensu stricto cannot be identified with any of the other Perbrinckia species obtained in the recent collections from Sri Lanka re ferred to above. On the basis of the figures and localities provided of the speci mens referred to this species by Bott (1970a, b), his material belongs to at least P. sanguinea sp. nov. and P. glabra sp. nov. It is possible that he also had material of other species, but this cannot be ascertained without re-examining all his mate rial. Fernando's (1960) specimens from Nuwara Eliya are possibly P. sanguinea, but his figures of the species, particularly of the gonopods (locality from which the specimens came from was not indicated) do not agree well with any of the species recognised in this study. Similarly, the identities of his specimens from Peradeniya and Pundaloya can only be ascertained after they can be re-examined. The identities of Henderson's (1893: 383) material from Pundaloya (Sri Lanka) and Madras (southern India), and Roux's (1915: 381) specimens from an un specified location in Sri Lanka, also cannot be established here with certainty.