Thursday, February 22, 2018

[Crustacea • 2018] Rodriguezia adani • A New Species of Stygobitic Freshwater Crab of the Genus Rodriguezia Bott, 1969 (Decapoda: Trichodactylidae) from Tabasco, Mexico


Rodriguezia adani
Alvarez & Villalobos, 2018


Abstract

A new species of freshwater crab of the family Trichodactylidae, genus Rodriguezia Bott, 1969 is described from Grutas de Agua Blanca in southern Tabasco, Mexico. Rodriguezia is a genus endemic to northern Chiapas and southern Tabasco, distributed over a small area of 70 km. Rodriguezia adani n. sp., the third species of the genus, occurs north of its two congeners, being stygobitic with obvious adaptations to cave life. It can be distinguished from R. villalobosi, an epigean species, by the absence of eyes, lack of pigmentation and elongation of the pereiopods; and from R. mensabak by having less elongated pereiopods relative to carapace breadth, an extremely reduced ocular peduncle, and a smaller adult size.

Keywords: Crustacea, Trichodactylinae, stygobitic, Grutas de Agua Blanca, Tabasco, Chiapas


FIGURE 2. Rodriguezia adani n. sp. male holotype: dorsal view. 

Rodriguezia adani n. sp.

Distribution. The new species is only known from Grutas de Agua Blanca, Macuspana, Tabasco, Mexico.

Etymology. We name the new species after Adán Gómez-González, explorer, biologist and friend, who found these crabs while exploring caves in Tabasco and Chiapas, Mexico.


Fernando Alvarez and José Luis Villalobos. 2018. A New Species of Stygobitic Freshwater Crab of the Genus Rodriguezia Bott, 1969 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Trichodactylidae) from Tabasco, Mexico.  Zootaxa. 4378(1); 137-143. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4378.1.10

Dedican Nueva Especie de Crustáceo al Joven Biólogo Asesinado en Chiapas:"Rodriguezia adani"... - Biosfera 10  biosfera10.org/bios/index.php/noticias/79-nacionales/212-dedican-nueva-especie-de-crustaceo-al-joven-biologo-asesinado-en-chiapas-rodriguezia-adani via @@biosferadiez