Potamonautidae Bott 1970
Creators: name: Cumberlidge, Neil
name: Daniels, Savel R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Potamonautidae

description: FAMILY POTAMONAUTIDAE BOTT, 1970
(FIGS 1–10; TABLES 1–3)
Rediagnosis: Potamonautidae taxa are recognized by a mandibular palp with two articles comprising either a small ledge at their junction, or a simple terminal article completely lacking a lobe.
Subfamilies included: Liberonautinae subfam. nov. and Potamonautinae.
Genera included: Arcopotamonautes (Bott, 1955) stat. nov., Buea Cumberlidge, Mvogo Ndongo, Clark & Daniels, 2019, Erimetopus Rathbun, 1894, Liberonautes Bott, 1955, Lirrangopotamonautes (Bott, 1955) stat. nov., Longipotamonautes (Bott, 1955) stat. nov., Louisea Cumberlidge, 1994, Maritimonautes gen. nov., Nesonautes gen. nov., Occidensonautes gen. nov., Platythelphusa A. Milne-Edwards, 1887, Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838 s.s., Potamonemus Cumberlidge & Clark, 1992, Rotundopotamonautes (Bott, 1955) stat. nov. and Sudanonautes Bott, 1955.
Distribution: Taxa of this family are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Cumberlidge, 1999; Fig. 6B).
Remarks: The revised Potamonautidae includes the majority of species found on the African continent except for seven species in three genera of Deckeniidae and a species of Potamon (Potamidae) found in North Africa. Potamonautidae is divided here (Tables 2–3; Figs 7A–C) into Liberonautinae and Potamonautinae. The differences between these two subfamilies reflect phylogenetic divergence within the clade for Potamonautidae c. 30.14 Mya during the Eocene-Oligocene that gave rise to two lineages, each of which includes groups of morphologically distinct genera (Daniels et al., 2006, 2015; Fig. 1).KEY TO THE GENERA OF POTAMONAUTIDAE 1 No intermediate tooth on anterolateral margin between exorbital and epibranchial teeth ..................... 6 1’ Intermediate tooth on anterolateral margin between exorbital and epibranchial teeth ........................... 2 2 G1 TA directed inwards .............................................................................................................. Liberonautes2’ G1 TA either straight or directed outwards .................................................................................................3 3 Third maxilliped exopod with long flagellum ......................................................................... Sudanonautes3’ Third maxilliped exopod lacking flagellum ................................................................................................... 4 4 G2 TA long and flagellum-like ............................................................................................................Louisea4’ G2 TA short stub, lacking flagellum ............................................................................................................. 5 5 G1 TA elongate (TA/SA 0.86) ..................................................................................................................Buea5’ G1TA medium length (TA/SA 0.63) .........................................................................................Potamonemus6 G1 TA short or medium length (0.25–0.30 × as long as G1 SA) ..................................................................7 6’ G1 TA long (0.40–0.45 × as long as G1 SA) .................................................................................Nesonautes7 G1 TA slim, tapering to pointed tip .............................................................................................................. 8 7’ G1 TA hose-like, ending in broad tip ..............................................................................Longipotamonautes8 Endemic to West Africa .........................................................................................................Occidensonautes8’ Not found in West Africa ............................................................................................................................... 9 9 Outer margins of S4 raised and thickened ..........................................................................Maritimonautes9’ Outer margins of S4 low, not raised ............................................................................................................ 10 10 Cheliped carpus outer margin with two or three small teeth ......................................................Erimetopus10’ Cheliped carpus outer margin smooth, lacking teeth ................................................................................ 11 11 Third maxilliped ischium with vertical sulcus............................................................................................. 12 11’ Third maxilliped ischium smooth, lacking vertical sulcus ........................................................................ 13 12 G1 TA with only slightly raised dorsal fold .......................................................................Potamonautes s.s.12’ G1 TA with distinctly raised dorsal fold ..........................................................................Arcopotamonautes13 Thoracic sternal sulcus S3/4 completely traversing sternum ................................................................... 14 13’ Thoracic sternal sulcus S3/4 completely traversing sternum ..................................Rotundopotamonautes14 G1 SA slim (SA base 0.25 × SA length) ....................................................................Lirrangopotamonautes14’ G1 SA broad (SA base 0.5 × SA length) ................................................................................. Platythelphusa
description: Published as part of Cumberlidge, Neil & Daniels, Savel R., 2022, A new multilocus phylogeny reveals overlooked diversity in African freshwater crabs (Brachyura: Potamoidea): a major revision with new higher taxa and genera, pp. 1268-1311 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 194 (4) on pages 1279-1281, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab082, http://zenodo.org/record/6461478