Guinotia

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Guinotia
Guinotia dentata.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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]
  • Boscia Henri Milne EdwardsH. Milne Edwards, 1837
  • Guinotia (Guinotia)Pretzmann, 1965
  • PotamiaLatreille, 1831
  • Pseudothelphusa (Guinotia)Pretzmann, 1965
  • Pseudothelphusa tenuipesPocock, 1889
  • Thelphusa dentataLatreille, 1825

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]

Contents

Description

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]

Distribution and habitat

Guinotia dentata in Dominica Land crab in Dominica.jpg
Guinotia dentata in Dominica

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

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]

Diet

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]

Taxonomic history

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 N. Cumberlidge (2008). "Guinotia dentata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T134595A3983694. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T134595A3983694.en .
  2. Pretzmann, G. (1965). Vorläufiger Bericht über die Familie Pseudothelphusidae. Anzeiger der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 1965(1): 1–10
  3. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Guinotia Pretzmann, 1965".
  4. 1 2 3 4 Peter Davie; Sammy De Grave (2021). "Guinotia Pretzmann, 1965". World Register of Marine Species. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 Richard G. Hartnoll (1988). "Biology of the land crabs: an introduction". In Warren W. Burggren; Brian Robert McMahon (eds.). Evolution, systematics, and geographical distribution. Cambridge University Press. pp. 6–54. ISBN   978-0-521-30690-4.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Kristy Venable (2004). "Photographic Guide to the Freshwater and Terrestrial Crabs of Dominica" (PDF). Texas A&M University. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anne Prouzet & Pierre Noël (2009). "Guinotia dentata (Latreille, 1825)" (in French). DORIS. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Hans Hillewaert. "Guinotia dentata". BioLib. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  9. Miculka (2009), p. 5.
  10. 1 2 Chace & Hobbs (1969), pp. 156–160.
  11. Gilberto Rodriguez (1982). Les crabes d'eau douce d'Amérique. Famille des Pseudothelphusidae (PDF). Faune tropicale (in French). Vol. XXII. Paris: ORSTOM. pp. 188–192. ISBN   978-2-7099-0513-8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  12. Chace & Hobbs (1969), p. 19.
  13. Miculka (2009), p. 7.
  14. Chace & Hobbs (1969), p. 42.
  15. Miculka (2009), p. 13.
  16. Gerhard Pretzmann (1965). "Vorläufiger Bericht über die Familie Pseudothelphusidae" [Preliminary report on the family Pseudothelphusidae](PDF). Sitzungsberichte der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien (in German). 1: 1–11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
Bibliography