Guinotia | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Brachyura |
Family: | Pseudothelphusidae |
Subfamily: | Guinotinae |
Genus: | Guinotia Pretzmann, 1965 [2] |
Species: | G. dentata |
Binomial name | |
Guinotia dentata (Latreille, 1825) | |
Synonyms [3] [4] | |
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Guinotia is a monotypic genus of freshwater crabs in the family Pseudothelphusidae, [5] containing only the species Guinotia dentata, [4] commonly known as cyrique. [6] They have few predators. [7] Found in the West Indies, they are easily caught [6] and thus are used locally as a food source. [8]
Guinotia dentata is almost oval in shape and the teeth on its carapace are very small. It is a yellow-brown colour and its shell can grow to 65 millimetres (2.6 in) long; it is about 3/5 long as wide. [6] [8] The eyestalks are yellow whilst the corneas are black, [6] but they are probably best identifiable by their large yellow claws with straight sharply pointed fingers. [9]
The species sometimes has almost an entire dorsal surface of carapace yellow with submarginal brown. [10]
Its shell has a cervical meandering curve which does not quite touch the edge of the shell. About 24 cubicles are well defined. The forehead is low, excavated and depressed and of uniform height. [11] Its pereiopods are fairly average and its chelae are without prominent, swollen protuberance on outer surface near the base of the fingers. [10]
The species is native mostly to Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia. [1] Its distribution is fragmented because of its presence on multiple islands, but it is plentiful in the regions it inhabits. [1]
Guinotia dentata lives mostly in streams (particularly shady ones) [7] and ponds and may sometimes be seen on land, though it avoids areas that are excessively dry. [5] It has not yet been observed in estuaries. [7] It lives in streams and rives in the highlands of the Lesser Antilles, not including the Virgin Islands. [1] [12] They are known to hide under roots of trees, rocks and rotten wood where they dig shallow burrows which are oval in shape. [8] [13] They have been spotted at altitudes of 2,850 ft (870 m). [6] They certainly inhabit the Boeri Lake and may inhabit Freshwater Lake. [14]
The largest threat to the species is habitat destruction, and a protected area has been established on Dominica to conserve them. [1]
Reproduction takes place entirely in fresh water, and breeding takes place all year round; there does not seem to be a breeding season. [7] The young undergo direct development, hatching as juveniles, without passing through any larval stages. The females carry the eggs and protect the young [8] who stay with their mother for a period after hatching. [7]
Guinotia dentata is a mainly carnivorous (though partially herbivorous) [8] animal which sometimes also acts as a scavenger or detritivore. [7] It has been observed to eat minnows, prawns, and aquatic algae-like vegetation. [15]
Guinotia dentata was first described in 1825 by Pierre André Latreille. [4] The specific epithet dentata means "toothed" in Latin. [7] In 1965, Gerhard Pretzmann erected the genus Guinotia (a tribute to Danièle Guinot) and made Latreille's species the type species. [16]
The following species were previously considered members of Guinotia: [4]