Potamonautes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Potamonautes |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Potamonautes sidneyi | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Potamonautidae |
| Subfamily: | Potamonautinae |
| Genus: | Potamonautes Macleay, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Thelphusa perlata H. Milne-Edwards, 1837
|
|
Potamonautes is a group of freshwater crabs found in Africa. They are the most common and diverse type of freshwater crabs on the continent. In fact, more than half of all freshwater crab species in Africa are Potamonautes! You can find them in many different freshwater places, like rivers and lakes. Some even live partly on land, which means they are semi-terrestrial.
Contents
About Potamonautes Crabs
Many Different Species
There are many different kinds of Potamonautes crabs. Scientists have given each one a unique name. For example, one well-known species is called Potamonautes sidneyi.
Crabs from the Past
Did you know that some Potamonautes crabs have been around for a very long time? Scientists have found fossils of an existing species, P. niloticus, in rocks that are about 6 million years old! These fossils were found near Lake Albert. There are also fossils of other Potamonautes species from the Late Cretaceous period, which was a very long time ago, found in Niger. This shows that these crabs have a long history on Earth.
Where Potamonautes Crabs Live
Potamonautes crabs live only in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Basin. This means you won't find them on islands like Madagascar or the Seychelles.
- East Africa: Over 30 different species live here.
- Congo Basin: More than 20 species call this region home.
- Southern Africa: You can find 20 species in this area.
- Northeast Africa: There are 6 species found here.
- West Africa: This region is home to 5 species.
While some Potamonautes species are very common and found in many places, others live in only a small area. For example, the P. dubius crab is only found in certain parts of the Kunene River and the upper Zambezi River in Southern Africa.
