Abstract
The taxonomic status of the widely distributed freshwater crab Potamonautes lirrangensis (Rathbun, 1904) sensu lato is revised because morphological and molecular evidence indicates that this taxon is a complex comprising more than one species. Four taxa are now recognized: Potamonautes lirrangensis (Rathbun, 1904) s. str. and P. kisangani sp. nov. from the Middle Congo River in Central Africa, P. amosae sp. nov. from the drainages of Lakes Kivu and Tanganyika, and P. orbitospinus (Cunnington, 1907) from Lake Malawi which had been previously synonymised with P. lirrangensis s. lat. Diagnoses, illustrations and distribution maps are provided for each of these taxa and they are compared to similar species from Central and Southern Africa.
Highlights
The results collectively indicate that P. lirrangensis s. lat. comprises at least 4 species: P. lirrangensis s. str., with a distribution restricted to the Middle Congo River in the République du Congo, P. kisangani sp. nov. from Kisangani in the D
Eighty-three specimens were examined from the Middle Congo River (Liranga, Kisangani; Fig. 1), rivers near Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, and Lakes Kivu, Tanganyika (Fig. 3), and Malawi (Fig. 2) (Table 1) that had been attributed to either P. lirrangensis s. lat. or to P. (P.) orbitospinus
V, Malawi: Lake Malawi, nec Tanzania: Kigoma District, rivers draining into Lake Tanganyika, Taveta, Mungonya River, Uvinza, Malagarasi River). — Ng et al 2008: 171
Summary
This work focuses on the taxonomic status of the widely distributed species Potamonautes lirrangensis (Rathbun, 1904) s. lat., which has a reported range that includes the Middle Congo River (Rathbun 1904, 1921; Capart 1954), Lake Kivu (Chace 1942; Bott 1955; Reed & Cumberlidge 2006; Cumberlidge & Meyer 2011; Daniels et al 2015), rivers near Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania (Marijnissen et al 2006; European Journal of Taxonomy 744: 145–178 (2021)Reed & Cumberlidge 2006), Lake Tanganyika (Capart 1952; Coulter 1991; Marijnissen et al 2006; Reed & Cumberlidge 2006), and Lake Malawi (Balss 1929; Chace 1942; Bott 1955; Marijnissen et al 2006; Reed & Cumberlidge 2006; Cumberlidge & Meyer 2011; Kochey et al 2017). Subsequent authors (Rathbun 1921; Balss 1929; Chace 1942; Bott 1955; Reed & Cumberlidge 2006; Cumberlidge & Meyer 2011) have assigned superficially similar specimens from elsewhere in Central Africa (Fig. 1) and the Rift Valley lakes (Figs 2–3) to Potamonautes lirrangensis s. Based on the limited set of characters available from the adult female type Among these were specimens from Lake Malawi (Fig. 2) that had previously been described as Potamon (Potamonautes) orbitospinus Cunnington, 1907, a taxon that Balss (1929, 1936) and Chace (1942) accepted, but which Bott (1955) treated as a junior synonym of Potamonautes lirrangensis s. This opinion was followed by subsequent authors (Coulter 1991; Reed & Cumberlidge 2006; Ng et al 2008; Cumberlidge & Meyer 2011)
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