Guinotia dentata
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G. dentata
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| Guinotia dentata (Latreille, 1825)
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Guinotia dentata, commonly known as cyrique,[2] is a West Indian species of freshwater crab in the family Pseudothelphusidae.[3] They have few predators.[4] They are easily caught[2] and thus are used locally as a food source.[5]
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.[2][5] The eyestalks are yellow whilst the corneas are black,[2] but they are probably best identifiable by their large yellow claws with straight sharply pointed fingers.[6]
The species sometimes has almost an entire dorsal surface of carapace yellow with submarginal brown.[7]
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.[8] Its pereiopods are fairly average and its chelae are without prominent, swollen protuberance on outer surface near the base of the fingers.[7]
Distribution and habitat
The species is native mostly to Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia.[9] Its distribution is fragmented because of its presence on multiple islands, but it is plentiful in the regions it inhabits.[9]
Guinotia dentata lives mostly in streams (particularly shady ones)[4] and ponds and may sometimes be seen on land, though it avoids areas that are excessively dry.[3] It has not yet been observed in estuaries.[4] It lives in streams and rives in the highlands of the Lesser Antilles, not including the Virgin Islands.[9][10] They are known to hide under roots of trees, rocks and rotten wood where they dig shallow burrows which are oval in shape.[5][11] They have been spotted at altitudes of 2,850 ft (870 m).[2] They certainly inhabit the Boeri Lake and may inhabit Freshwater Lake.[12]
The largest threat to the species is habitat destruction, and a protected area has been established on Dominica to conserve them.[9]
Reproduction
Reproduction takes place entirely in fresh water, and breeding takes place all year round; there does not seem to be a breeding season.[4] The young undergo direct development, hatching as juveniles, without passing through any larval stages. The females carry the eggs and protect the young[5] who stay with their mother for a period after hatching.[4]
Diet
Guinotia dentata is a mainly carnivorous (though partially herbivorous)[5] animal which sometimes also acts as a scavenger or detritivore.[4] It has been observed to eat minnows, prawns, and aquatic algae-like vegetation.[13]
Taxonomic history
Guinotia dentata was first described in 1825 by Pierre André Latreille.[1] The specific epithet dentata means "toothed" in Latin.[4] In 1965, Gerhard Pretzmann erected the genus Guinotia (a tribute to Danièle Guinot) and made Latreille's species the type species.[14]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Miculka (2009), p. 5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chace & Hobbs (1969), pp. 156-160.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Chace & Hobbs (1969), p. 19.
- ↑ Miculka (2009), p. 7.
- ↑ Chace & Hobbs (1969), p. 42.
- ↑ Miculka (2009), p. 13.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Bibliography
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
