Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2020 | 12(11): 16531–16547
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4977.12.11.16531-16547
#4977 | Received 15 March 2019 | Final
received 13 May 2020 | Finally accepted 03 July 2020
Freshwater decapods (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Palair Reservoir, Telangana,
India
Sudipta Mandal 1 , Deepa
Jaiswal 2 , A. Narahari 3 & C. Shiva Shankar 4
1–4 Zoological Survey of India, FBRC,
Plot no. 366/1, Near pillar no. 162, Attapur, Hyderguda P.O., Hyderabad, Telangana 500048, India.
1 sudiptam531@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 deepajzsi@gmail.com, 3 narahariakkinapelly@gmail.com,
4 cshivashankarchinna@gmail.com
Editor: Sameer Padhye,
Zoo Outreach Organization, Coimbatore, India. Date
of publication: 26 August 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Mandal, S., D. Jaiswal, A. Narahari & C.S. Shankar (2020). Freshwater decapods (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Palair Reservoir,
Telangana, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(11): 16531–16547. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4977.12.11.16531-16547
Copyright: © Mandal et al. 2020. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Zoological Survey of India Senior Research
Fellowship (to the first author).
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Author details: Sudipta Mandal, Senior Research Fellow, Freshwater Biology Regional
Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Hyderabad; working on freshwater Decapods
under the guidance of Dr. Deepa J. Dr.
Deepa J. Scientist-E, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Zoological
Survey of India, Hyderabad; working on freshwater fauna. A. Narahari,
Technical Assistant, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of
India, Hyderabad; working on freshwater Hemiptera.
C Shiva Shankar, Technical
Assistant, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India,
Hyderabad; working on freshwater Coleoptera.
Author contribution: SM-—collector, Identifier of
specimens and coresponding author; JD—guide in the
project; AN & CSS—aissisting in field collection
and photography.
Acknowledgements: Authors are thankful to Dr. Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India,
Kolkata, and the Officer-in-charge, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre,
Hyderabad for providing necessary facilities and encouragement to carry out the
research programme. The first author is grateful to Dr.
Sameer Kumar Pati, ZSI, Western Regional Centre, Pune
and Prof. Dr. K. V.
Jayachandran, Director of Research (Retd.) and
(Former Dean, Faculty of Fisheries), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean
Studies, Cochin, Kerala for literatures and guidance in identification.
Abstract: Recent surveys conducted in 2016–2018
from the Palair Reservoir of the Indian state of
Telangana resulted in the collection of 153 specimens of freshwater
decapods. These specimens are assigned
to 10 species: seven prawns in three genera and three families; three crabs in
two genera of one family. Among these,
four species are recorded here as new records to Telangana: Penaeus
semisulcatus De Haan,
1844, Caridina gracilipes
De Man, 1892, Barytelphusa guerini (H. Milne Edwards, 1853), and Oziotelphusa sp.
Keywords: Brachyura, Caridea,
crabs, Dendrobranchiata, freshwater, prawns,
systematics.
INTRODUCTION
The Palair
Reservoir is located near Palair Village in the
Khammam District of Telangana (17.199°–17.249° N & 79.868°–79.922° E),
which is about 30km from the district headquarters (Fig. 1). Palair is a large
man-made reservoir that is up to 16m in depth and covers an area of 1,
748ha. It has considerable economical,
ecological and biological significance, being home to many freshwater
invertebrate and vertebrate populations that support local fisheries which take
fin-fish and macro crustaceans like prawns and crabs (Roy et al. 2015). While ichthyofaunal resources have been
properly documented, the Decapoda (crustaceans with
10 legs) are poorly known. Surveys were
conducted in the Palair Reservoir between from 2016
to 2018 in order to document the diversity of decapods.
Decapoda are highly diverse, with an
estimated 15, 000 species worldwide, 1, 669 recorded from freshwater. One-hundred-and-eighteen species of
freshwater prawns (Valarmathi 2017) and 122 species
of freshwater crabs (Pati & Thackray
2018) have been documented from India.
In a recent ongoing project started in August 2016 on “Taxonomic Studies
on Freshwater Decapods of Telangana”, a total of 153 specimens of Decapoda have been collected from Palair
Reservoir. One species of penaeoid prawn belonging to family Penaeidae,
five species of caridean prawns belonging to Palaemonidae
and Atyidae families and two species of brachyuran
crabs (family Gecarcinucidae) have been identified
from recent collections. The earlier
studies had reported two species of caridean prawns (Palaemonidae)
and three brachyuran crabs (Gecarcinucidae) among 82
examples of Decapoda collections (Roy et al. 2015).
MATERIAL
AND METHODS
Four surveys were conducted in
the Palair Reservoir during December 2016, February
2017, July 2017 and August 2018. A total
of 153 specimens of freshwater decapod crustaceans (131 prawns and 22 crabs)
were collected from running waters, submerged vegetation, and muddy/rocky
habitats of 10 localities surrounding the Palair
Reservoir (Figure 1, Table 1).
Crabs were
either handpicked from beneath stones and small rocks or dug out from
burrows. Prawns were gathered from
shallow waters using a D-shaped hand-net.
Large-sized crabs and prawns were caught with cast nets. Collected specimens with proper collection
data were preserved in 70–80 % ethyl alcohol (Ng 2017). The identification of penaeid, palaemonid,
and atyid prawns was achieved by following Holthuis
(1980), Jalihal et al. (1984), Chace & Bruce
(1993), Wowor & Choy (2001), Mariappan
& Richard (2006), and Jose (2013) whereas the crab identification was
confirmed from Pati & Sharma (2014). An unknown species of crab, here referred as Oziotelphusa sp., has no affinities with the
congeners (see Bahir & Yeo 2005; Pati &
Sharma 2012; Raj et al. 2017).
Confirmation of the species distribution has done from The IUCN Red List
2020.
All the
identified specimens were deposited in the collections of the Zoological Survey
of India, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Hyderabad, India (ZSI-FBRC). In addition, the previously collected
material (six prawns and 15 crabs) from ZSI-FBRC was also examined. These specimens were collected between 2009
and 2011.
RESULTS
From the
present study, a total of 10 species of decapods were recognized from the Palair Reservoir; seven species of prawns in three genera
of three families (Penaeidae, Palaemonidae,
and Atyidae); three species of crabs in two genera of
the family Gecarcinucidae. A systematic account is
provided on the decapods of the Palair Reservoir.
Systematics
Order Decapoda
Latreille, 1802
Suborder Dendrobranchiata
Spence Bate, 1888
Superfamily Penaeoidea
Rafinesque, 1815
Family Penaeidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan,
1844 [in De Haan, 1833–1850] (Image 1)
1844. Penaeus semisulcatus
De Haan, in Von Siebold, Fauna Japonica, Crustacea
(6/7): Pl. 46.
1900. Penaeus ashiaka Kishinouye
Material
examined: FBRC/ZSI/INV/1810, 16.ii.2017, 6 specimens, Palair,
coll. S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: Total length (TL) 130–132 mm, Rostrum length (RL) 27–30 mm,
Carapace length (CL) 27–29 mm; rostral formula 7–8(5)/2, rostrum straight,
rostral length is more or less equal to the carapace; carapace smooth, antennal
spine and hepatic spine present, adrostral carina
reaching almost posterior margin of carapace, gastrofrontal
carina present; antennal carina meets with hepatic carina, hepatic carina
inclined at an angle of 20° anteroventrally; cervical sulcus present, branchiocardiac carina shallow, postorbital carapace margin
is oval-shaped; 3rd maxilliped is extending up to the half of the antenular scale.
First 3 pairs of legs forming pincer, 3rd pair is
comparatively larger than 1st and 2nd pair; spine on
Ischia of 1st and 2ndperiopod; 5th pereopod
with small exopodite. Copulatory organ
on First pair of pleopod in male (petasma) and on
posterior thoracic sternites in female (thelycum); abdomen with posterior part of pleura (lateral plates)
covering anterior part of succeeding pleura; pleopods are with two branches.
Remarks: In
India, P. semisulcatus occurs along both the
coasts of India, including Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Samuel et al.
2016). Penaeus
semisulcatusis
is predominantly marine. The species,
however, is known to exist in freshwater environments. The present specimens of P. semisulcatus constitute a new record to Telangana.
Suborder Pleocyemata
Burkenroad, 1963
Infraorder Caridea
Dana, 1852
Superfamily Atyoidea
De Haan, 1849 [in De Haan,
1833-1850]
Family Atyidae
De Haan, 1849 [in De Haan,
1833-1850]
Caridina gracilipes De Man, 1892 (Image 2)
1892. Caridina
Wyckiivar.
gracilipes De Man: 387 Pl. 24 Fig. 29–29e
[type localities: Sulawesi (Celebes), and Selajar,
Indonesia].
2004. Caridina
gracilipes - Wowor et
al.: 341, Fig. 6D; Cai & Shokita 2006a: 250.
Material
examined: FBRC/ZSI/INV/1979, 64 specimens, 31.viii.2018, Nayakulgudem,
coll. S. Mandal.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Diagnostic
characters: TL 18.0–19.3 mm, RL 3.5–3.8 mm and CL 3.2–3.7 mm. Rostrum formula 16–23(3)/8–11, rostrum is
straight, slightly upturned distally, dorsal teeth interrupted by gap in the
anterior side, rostrum longer than 3rd segment of antennal peduncle
but shorter than antennal scale, carapace and rostrum equal in length; 3rd
maxilliped crosses half of the antennal scale; 1st chelipeds stout,
palm equal to finger, a tuft of hair with finger, carpus is half of chela and merus shorter than chela, carpus with deep anterior
excavation, ischium very short and stout; 2nd chelipeds longer than
1st chelipeds, finger longer than palm with tuft of hair at the end,
carpus longer than chela but sub equal to merus; 3rd
to 5th periopods similar in structure with
simple dactyls, longer than 1st and 2nd periopods; abdomen smooth, 6th segment two times
as long as 5th and sub equal to telson in length, berried females
carry around 120–130 eggs measuring 0.33×0.46 mm; endopod
of 1st pleopod of male acutely triangular; 5–7 pairs of movable
spines, terminal pair flanking the posterior-lateral angles of telson,
posterior margin ‘V’ shaped posses 6 long plumose
setae; uropods are exceeding tip of the telson, endopod is smaller than exopod, lateral margin of exopod
straight, suture in exopod is across the middle with 7–9 movable spines.
Remarks: In
India, C. gracilipes is known from Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal states.
The present specimen from the Palair Reservoir
is a new record to Telangana. This
species is exclusively a freshwater species found in lakes and rivers.
Caridina shenoyi Jalihal & Sankolli
in Jalihal, Shenoy & Sankolli,
1984 (Image 3)
1984. Caridina
shenoyi Jalihal & Sankolli Rec. Zool. Surv. India.
Occ. Paper No. 69: 1–40.
2013. Caridina
shenoyi Jalihal & Sankolli Zool. Surv. India. State
Fauna Series, 21: 63–72.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material
examined: FBRC/ZSI/INV/1823, two specimens, 13.vii.2017, J.C. Boating &
Water Park, Palair, coll. S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: TL 14.4–19 mm, RL 2.8mm and CL 7.2mm; rostrum formula
18–22(6–7)/6–7, rostrum is straight, slightly downward distally, dorsal teeth
are placed equally, rostrum reaches up to the end of 2nd segment of
antennal peduncle but not reaches up to the end of the antennal scale, carapace
1.8 times as long as rostrum; 3rd maxilliped reaches up to the end
of the antennal scale; 1st cheliped is stout, palm is sub equal to
finger, carpus is half of palm and merus, merus is equal to palm, a tuft of hair with chela, chela
2.2–2.5 times as long as broad, carpus 1.8–2.0 times as long as broad, carpus
with deep anterior excavation; 2nd cheliped is also stout and more
or less equal to 1st cheliped, reaches end of antennal peduncle by
chela, carpus is sub equal to merus and longer than
chela, a tuft of hair with chela; finger is 1.5–1.8 times as palm; 3rd
to 5th periopods similar in structure with
short and stout dactyls, longer than 1st and 2ndperiopod;
abdomen smooth without any abdominal hump, 6th segment 1.48 times as
long as 5th and 0.76 times as long as telson, berried females
carries around 350–370 eggs measuring 0.6×0.4 mm, 6th abdominal
segment less than half of carapace length; endopod of
1st pleopods of male acutely triangular, appendix masculine 0.3
times as long as endopod; six pairs of movable
spines, terminal pair flanking the posterior-lateral angles of telson. Posterior margin ‘V’ shaped posses six long plumose setae; uropods
are exceeding tip of the telson, endopod is smaller
than exopod, lateral margin of exopod straight, suture in exopod is across the
middle with 22 movable spines.
Remarks: In
India, C. shenoyi is known from Kerala,
Karnataka, and Telangana states. This
species is generally found in submerged vegetations in shallow water.
Superfamily Palaemonoidea
Rafinesque, 1815
Family Palaemonidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Macrobrachium equidens (Dana, 1852)
Material
examined: Reported by Roy et al. (2015).
Diagnostic
Characters: Body robust, rostrum formula 10–11(2–4)/4–7, rostrum strong,
reaching at end of antennal scale, dorsal teeth placed at regular interval;
ridge of antennal spine extending in the direction of hepatic spine; 2nd
cheliped sub equal in length, fingers covered with soft dense pubescence, not
dentate on opposable margins, not gaping; out of two postereo-lateral
spines of telson, lower one over-reaching the telson tip.
Remarks: In
India, Macrobrachium equidens
has been reported from Kerala, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa.
Macrobrachium malcolmsonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1844) (Image
4)
1844. Palaemon
malcolmsonii H. Milne Edwards, In: Jacquemont Voyage, Inde, 4(2): 8.
2007. Macrobrachium
malcolmsonii (H. M. Edwards, 1844) Rec. zool. Surv. India: 107(Part 2): 93–101.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1495, 1 specimen, 15.vii.2010, Neredvai,
coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1497, 2
specimens, 14.viii.2010, Palair, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1500, 1 specimen,
14.viii.2010, Annarigudem, coll. Dr.
S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1524, 1 specimen, 16.viii.2010, Kottura, coll. Dr. S.V.A.
Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1525, 1 specimen, 16.viii.2010, Uralakonda,
coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1368, 23
specimens, 7.xii.2016, J.C. Boating & Water park, Palair,
coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1405, 7 specimens, 7.xii.2016, Palair, coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1439, 7 specimens,
13.vii.2017, Palair, coll. S. Mandal;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1886, 3 specimens, 30.viii.2018, Palair
Park, Palair, coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1891, 4
specimens, 31.viii.2018, near S.H. 42, Palair, coll.
S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: TL 140–180 mm, RL 38–59 mm, CL 38–60 mm; rostral formula
9–11(2–4)/5–6, rostrum slightly upturned distally, proximal portion convex; two
sub distal teeth present in dorsal arm, rest are evenly placed, rostrum more or
less equal to antennal scale but longer than 3rdantenular peduncle;
carapace smooth, antennal spine and hepatic spine present, post antenular carapace margin evenly rounded; 3rd
maxilliped does not reach up to half of antenular
scale; 1st cheliped very short, equal and slender, palm equal to
fingers, a dance row of setae in the lower side of palm, carpus 2.5 times as
long as chela and 1.3 times as long as merus; 2nd
cheliped strong, equal and well developed, movable finger covers with velvety
pubescence in adults, fingers are longer than half of the palm, palm not
swollen, carpus 0.8 as long as chela, 1.3 as long as merus;
3rd to 5th periopod in
structure with simple dactylus; abdomen smooth, 6th segment 1.5 as
long as 5th and 0.63 as long as to telson; telson with two pairs of
dorsal movable spines and two pairs of posterior spines with 12–14 plumose
setae, posterior apex exceed the tips of longer posteriolateral
spines; uropods are exceeding tip of telson, endopod shorter than exopod in length, lateral margin of
exopod straight, overreached by blunt angular lamellar end. The mobile mesial spine of exopod is absent.
Remarks: In
India this species is distributed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and West Bengal. Apart from India it has been reported from
Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Sri Lanka. This species is collected from the deep water
of large reservoirs or rivers.
Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879)(Image 5)
1879. Palaemon
rosenbergii de Man: 167.
1950a Macrobrachium
rosenbergii Holthuis:
111. Fig. 25.-Kuris, Ra’anan, Sagi,
and Cohen, 1987: 219.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1420, 3 specimens, 16.ii.2017, Palair,
coll. S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: TL 132–145 mm, RL 48–51 mm, CL 35–40 mm; rostral formula
12–16(3–4)/10–11, rostrum upturned distally, proximal portion convex, all teeth
are evenly placed; rostrum longer than antennal scale and antenular
peduncle; carapace smooth, antennal spine and hepatic spine present, post antenular carapace margin evenly rounded; 3rd
maxilliped reaches half of antenular scale; 1st
chelipeds equal, slender, shorter than 2nd cheliped, palm equal to
fingers, carpus two times as long as chela and 1.3 times as long as merus; 2nd chelipeds strong, equal and well
developed, carpus shorter than chela but longer than merus,
palm swollen, fingers longer than half of the palm, legs entirely covered with
very small dense spinules; 3rd to 5th
periopod in structure with simple dactylus; abdomen
smooth, 6th segment 1.85 times as long as 5th and equal
to telson; telson with two pairs of dorsal movable spines and two pairs of
posterior spines with 14–16 plumose setae, posterior apex exceed the tips of
longer posteriolateral spines; uropods
are exceeding tip of telson, endopod shorter than
exopod in length, lateral margin of exopod straight, overreached by blunt
angular lamellar end, mobile mesial spine of exopod is absent.
Remarks: M.
rosenbergii has been reported from all over
India. This species is also collected
from the deep water of large reservoirs or rivers along with M. malcolmsonii.
Macrobrachium scabriculum (Heller, 1862)(Image 6)
1862a. Palaemon
scabriculum Heller: 527 [type locality: Sri
Lanka].
1950a. Macrobrachium
scabriculum. - Holthuis:
224.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1887, 5 specimens, 30.viii.2018, Palair
Park, Palair, coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1890, 7
specimens, 31.viii.2018, near S.H. 42, Palair, coll.
S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: TL 9.8cm.; rostrum formula 12–15(2–3)/2–3, rostrum straight, long
as 3rd segment of peduncle and 0.75 times as long as carapace; carapace rough
posteriorly, antennal spine and hepatic spine present, post antenular
carapace margin evenly rounded; 3rd maxillipeds cross half of antenular scale; 1st cheliped is slender, equal and
extending over the tip of the antennal scale; 2nd Cheliped stout,
exhibiting sexual dimorphism in adult, in male unequal in size and shape,
larger one longer than the body, much stouter than the smaller Cheliped and
characterized by the presence of velvety pubescence on palm, palm longer than
fingers with equal thickness, cutting edge of the fingers armed with a row of
tubercles which gradually decreased in size distally, Carpus shorter than both
palm and merus; smaller Cheliped shorter than the
body and less pubescent, fingers longer than palm, cutting edges plane, palm
shorter than Carpus, Carpus sub equal to merus; 3rd
to 5th periopods similar in structure with simple
dactylus; abdomen smooth, 6th segment 1.25 as long as 5th
and 0.55 as long as to telson; telson with two pairs of dorsal movable spines
and 2 pairs of posterior spines with 6–7 plumose setae, posterior apex do not
exceed the tips of longer posteriolateral spines; uropods are exceeding tip of telson, endopod
equal to exopod in length, lateral margin of exopod straight, overreached by
blunt rounded lamellar end, mobile mesial spine of exopod present.
Remarks: In
India M. scabriculum is known from Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana,
& West Bengal; Indonesia; Kenya; Madagascar; Mozambique; and Sri
Lanka. This species is generally found
in crevices or beneath the stones and small rocks in shallow water.
Infraorder Brachyura
Latreille, 1802
Superfamily Gecarcinucoidea
Rathbun, 1904
Family Gecarcinucidae
Rathbun, 1904
Barytelphusa cunicularis (Westwood in Sykes, 1836) (Image
7)
1836. Thelphusa
cunicularis Westwood, in Sykes & Westwood:
183; H. Milne Edwards, 1853: 209.
1970a. Barytelphusa
(Barytelphusa) cunicularis–
Bott: 335; 1970b: 31; Srivastava, 2005: 118, Pl. 1
Fig. 3.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1413, 1 specimen, Annarigudem,
14.viii.2010, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1455, 1 specimen, Urlakonda, 16.viii.2010,
coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1465, 1
specimen, Kotturu, 16.viii.2010, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1493, 15.viii.2010,
3 specimens, Neredvai, coll. Dr.
S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1498, 2 specimens, Neredvai,
12.iv.2011, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1572, 2 specimens, Narasimhulugudem,
11.iv.2011, Coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1365, one specimen, J.C. Boating & Water park, Palair, 7.xii.2016, coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1383, 4
specimens, J.C. Boating & Water park, Palair,
16.ii.2017, coll. S. Mandal; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1889, 1 specimen, near S.H. 42, Palair, 31.viii.2018, Coll. S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: Carapace width 76–95 mm, CL 57–70 mm, Carapace height 19–38 mm;
carapace wider than long, dorsal surface is slightly convex anteriorly and flat
posteriorly; anteriolateral borders of carapace
convex and cristiform, posteriolateral
borders ill-defined and convergent posteriorly, cervical groove is distinct,
meets with postorbital crest, H-groove is clear; frontal width 16–20 mm. Anteriolateral
margin and branchial region raised in frontal view, frontal median triangle
incomplete, epistome bilobed, without median tooth;
post orbital and epigastric cristae strongly developed, fused with latter
slightly anterior to former, forming gentle concave ridge in dorsal view,
external orbital tooth blunt and not separated from the lower border of the
orbit, external orbital angle broadly triangular with outer margin, ca. 2–3
times length of inner margin, epibranchial tooth broad, blunt, separated from
external orbital angle with visible cleft; 3rd maxilliped exopod
with long flagellum; suture between thoracic sternites
2–3 distinct and suture between 3–4 slightly visible as grooves; Chelipeds
unequal in both the sexes, carpus has a strong sharp spine with a small
accessory cusp at its inner angle, one big tooth in the middle of the immovable
finger, rest of all apposed moderately; ambulatory legs smooth, compressed
dorsoventrally, more or less same size with the chelipeds, dactylus subequal in
length with propodus narrowly triangular, 6th
segment broader than long with concave lateral margin, telson is tongue-shaped,
equal to 6th segment in length, abdominal cavity deep, female pleon broadly tongue-shaped, vulvae oval-shaped, situated
just beside the margin with thoracic sternite 5; G1
long, narrow, curving slightly outwards, terminal segment long with pointed
tip; G2 short, distal segment short.
Remarks: Barytelphusa cunicularis
was so far known from the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and West Bengal as well as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This species is generally found in small pit
at the bank of river or lake or reservoir.
Barytelphusa guerini (H. Milne Edwards, 1853)(Image 8)
1853. Thelphusa
guerini H. Milne Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool.,
1853: 210.
1970a. Barytelphusa
(Barytelphusa) guerini Bott, Abh. senckenb.
naturforsch. Ges.: 33.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1411, 2 specimens, Annarigudem,
14.viii.2010, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1464, 1 specimen, Erragaddathanda,
16.viii.2010, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1496, 1 specimen, Nayakangudem, 14.viii.2010,
coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1499, 1
specimen, Neredvai, 12.iv.2011, coll. Dr. S.V.A. Chandrasekhar; ZSI/INV/1406, 3 specimens, J.C.
Boating & Water park, Palair, 13.vii.2017, coll.
S. Mandal, FBRC/; FBRC/ZSI/INV/1888, 7 specimens, Canal 1, beside Palair Park, 30.viii.2018, coll. S. Mandal;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1911, 1 specimen, Katta Maisamma temple,
Palair, 31.viii.2018, coll. S. Mandal;
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1885, 5 specimens, Small stream near agricultural field, Thammagudem, 31.viii.2018, coll. S. Mandal.
Diagnostic
characters: Carapace width 49–56 mm, CL 39–43 mm, Carapace height 12–19 mm;
carapace wider than long, dorsal surface is convex; anteriolateral
borders of carapace convex and cristiform, posteriolateral borders ill-defined and convergent
posteriorly; cervical groove is distinct, meets with post orbital crest (does
not touch the antereo lateral line); H-groove is
clear; frontal width 12–16mm, frontal median triangle incomplete, epistome bilobed, without median tooth; post orbital and
epigastric cristae strongly developed, fused as a continuous line, post-orbital
crests trenchant, sinuous and separated from Epibranchial tooth by clearly
visible cleft, external orbital tooth blunt and not separated from the lower
border of the orbit, external angle of frontal median triangle cristiform, epibranchial tooth well
formed but blunt, postereo-lateral borders
ill-defined and convergent posteriorly; 3rd maxilliped exopod with
long flagellum; suture between thoracic sternites 2–3
distinct, between 3–4 slightly visible as shallow grooves on sides; chelipeds
unequal in both the sexes, Carpus has a strong sharp spine with a small
accessory cusp at its inner angle, 2/3 bigger teeth in both movable and
immovable fingers, rest of all apposed moderately; ambulatory legs smooth,
compressed dorsoventrally, more or less same size with the chelipeds; male
abdomen broad-based triangular, 6th segment broader than long,
trapezoidal in shape with straight lateral margin, telson tongue-shaped, equal
to 6th segment in length, abdominal cavity deep; female pleon oval-shaped, vulvae oblong, situated attached with
the margin of thoracic sternite 5; G1 long, narrow,
curving slightly outwards, terminal segment very long with bulged tip; G2
short, distal segment short.
Remarks: Barytelphusa guerini was
so far only known from the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (Pati
& Thackeray 2018). The species is
reported herein for the first time from Telangana based on the material from
the Palair Reservoir.
This species is collected from beneath the stones and small rocks in
shallow water.
Oziotelphusa sp. (Image 9)
Material examined:
FBRC/ZSI/INV/1696, 1 specimen, 15.viii.2010, Palair
Reservoir, Neradavai, coll. Dr.
S.V.A. Chandrasekhar.
Diagnostic characters: Carapace
greatest width 30.2mm, CL 21.4mm, carapace height 12.7mm, carapace wider than
long. Dorsal surface strongly convex,
surface very smooth; anteriolateral borders of
carapace convex, smooth and sheet-like without serration; the cervical groove
distinct, disappears in a distance behind post-orbital crest, H-groove clear;
frontal median triangle complete but not as broad as frontal margin, epistome trilobed, epistomal
medial tooth sharp; orbit broad, external orbital tooth blunt and not separated
from the lower border of the orbit, external orbital angle triangular;
epigastric crest sub-trenched and slightly in advance and separated from
post-orbital cristae; post-orbital crests trenchant, sinuous, separated from
epibranchial tooth with visible cleft.
Epibranchial tooth blunt; 3rd maxilliped exopod with strong
flagellum; abdomen of the male T-shaped, suture between anterior thoracic sternites 2–3 visible as shallow, narrow groove not
reaching lateral margins, but suture between sternite
3–4 indiscernible.
Remarks: The present lone male
specimen from the Palair Reservoir is here referred
to Oziotelphusa sp., and it has no affinities
with the congeners Oziotelphusa aurantia and Oziotelphusa
kerala (Bahir & Yeo 2005; Pati
& Sharma 2012; Raj et al. 2017); and this unknown species are found to be
new records from Telangana (cf. Pati & Thackeray
2018).
DISCUSSION
Decapods of Palair Reservoir were poorly studied until the present
work. In total, 10 decapod species are
currently known from the Palair Reservoir as a result
of present and previous collections.
Among these, four species stand as new state records: P. semisulcatus, C. gracilipes,
B. guerini, and Oziotelphusa
sp. Previous researchers reported 82
examples of Decapoda collected from the reservoir
during the survey period of July 2009 to April 2011 (Roy et al. 2015). Among them there were two species of caridean
prawns of Palaemonidae family Macrobrachium
malcolmsonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1844) and M. equidens (Dana, 1852), along with three species of
brachyuran crabs of Gecarcinucidae family, namely, Barytelphusa cunicularis
(Westwood in Sykes, 1836), B. guerini (H.
Milne Edwards, 1853), and Barytelphusa jacquemnotii (Rathbun, 1905). B. jacquemnotii,
which had a different species identity in the paper of Roy et al. (2015),
has been synonymised with B. cunicularis
(Pati & Sharma 2014).
In the present study, one species
of Penaeid prawn and five species of caridean prawn were encountered along with
two brachyuran crabs. One of the
previously reported species Macrobrachium equidens has not been found in the current study
period. In addition to the earlier
reported prawn species Macrobrachium malcolmsonii, two other species of Palaemonidae
family, i.e., M. scabriculum (Heller, 1862)
and M. rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) have been
encountered this time. Two species of Atyidae family, i.e., Caridina
gracilipes De Man, 1892 and C. shenoyi Jalihal, Shenoy &
Sankolli, 1984 have also been recorded this
time. Further discussion on Genus Caridina will be provided elaborately in near
future. Importantly, none of the species
of Oziotelphusa were present in the current
sampling, however, one specimen of the previous collections identified up to
the genus level (Oziotelphusa sp.), barely has
affinities with the congeners Oziotelphusa aurantia and Oziotelphusa
kerala.
Further identification up to the species level of this Oziotelphusa specimen requires further collections
from the location, which will be conducted in the near future.
Table1. Details of the surveyed
localities surrounding the Palair Reservoir.
|
Locality code |
Localityt |
Nature of water
body |
Latitude (°N) |
Longitude (°E) |
|
1. |
Naikangudem |
Canal |
17.195 |
79.890 |
|
2. |
J.C. Boating and Waterpark |
Reservoir |
17.199 |
79.898 |
|
3. |
Palair Reservoir near
S.H. 42 |
Reservoir |
17.200 |
79.910 |
|
4. |
Palair Park |
Reservoir |
17.204 |
79.918 |
|
5. |
Kattamaisamma Temple, Palair |
Reservoir |
17.218 |
79.922 |
|
6. |
Neradavai |
Canal |
17.236 |
79.890 |
|
7. |
Thammagudem |
Small stream |
17.259 |
79.858 |
|
8. |
Urlugonda |
Small stream |
17.222 |
79.904 |
|
9. |
Annarigudem |
Reservoir |
17.233 |
79.883 |
|
10. |
Kotturu |
Reservoir |
17.216 |
79.890 |
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