Neoepilobocera

Neoepilobocera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Pseudothelphusidae
Genus:	Neoepilobocera Capolongo & Pretzmann, 2002
Binomial name
Neoepilobocera gertraudae (Pretzmann, 1965)

Neoepilobocera gertraudae is a species of cave-dwelling crab from Cuba.

Classification

The species was first described by Gerhard Pretzmann as Epilobocera gertraudae in 1965. N. gertraudae is classified in the family Pseudothelphusidae, and is the only species in the genus Neoepilobocera.^[1] It is considered by some authorities to be synonymous with the widespread Epilobocera cubensis.^[2]

Distribution

It is only found in karstic caves in Viñales and nearby parts of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba.^[3]

Description

Neoepilobocera gertraudae differs from the other freshwater crabs of Cuba, all in the genus Epilobocera, by its longer legs and paler coloration, both of which are adaptations to living in caves.^[3] It is smaller than Epilobocera, reaching a carapace length of only 31 millimetres (1.2 in), and with a flattened body.^[3]

References

1. ^ Peter K. L. Ng, Danièle Guinot & Peter J. F. Davie (2008). "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. An annotated checklist of extant Brachyuran crabs of the world" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 17: 1–286. http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/s17/s17rbz.pdf. 
2. ^ Neil Cumberlidge (2008). "Epilobocera cubensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 3.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/134820. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Domenico Capolongo (2002). "The crabs of the inland waters of Cuba: the known species and new data on the genus Epilobocera (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae)" (PDF). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria Filippo Silvestri 58: 31–47. http://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/31183/31183.pdf.