ABSTRACT. During the last decades, knowledge on biodiversity of freshwater decapods has increased
considerably; however, information about ecology of these crustaceans is scarce. Currently, the freshwater
decapod fauna of Costa Rica is comprised by representatives of three families (Caridea: Palaemonidae and
Atyidae; Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae). The present study aims to describe the species diversity and
distribution of freshwater crabs inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica,
where the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) plans to implement one of the largest damming
projects in the region. Samples were collected in 39 locations at an altitude ranging from 20 to 1,225 m.
Sampling was carried out during several months in 2007, 2009 and 2010. We collected a total of 661 crabs,
comprising eight species of Pseudothelphusidae of three genera, representing 53% of the 15 pseudothelphusid
crab species currently recorded from Costa Rica. The most common species was Ptychophallus paraxanthusi
followed by P. tristani. Freshwater crabs were more frequently encountered in the middle-low region of the
basin (between 311 and 600 m) and less frequently in the medium-high basin (between 601 and 1,225 m).
Ptychophallus paraxanthusi showed the widest distribution and was collected in altitudes ranging from 20 to
700 m. The Rio Grande de Térraba region can be considered as a relatively small, but highly diverse system.
Therefore, any alteration of the basin of Rio Grande de Térraba, and especially the possible construction of a
hydroelectric power plant, needs to be carefully analyzed to mitigate the damaging effects of this project on
the freshwater crabs. More ecological information about freshwater crabs from Costa Rica and the Central
American region are needed to reach a first reasonable overview on the ecological role of these decapods in
freshwater systems.
ABSTRACT. During the last decades, knowledge on biodiversity of freshwater decapods has increasedconsiderably; however, information about ecology of these crustaceans is scarce. Currently, the freshwaterdecapod fauna of Costa Rica is comprised by representatives of three families (Caridea: Palaemonidae andAtyidae; Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae). The present study aims to describe the species diversity anddistribution of freshwater crabs inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica,where the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) plans to implement one of the largest dammingprojects in the region. Samples were collected in 39 locations at an altitude ranging from 20 to 1,225 m.Sampling was carried out during several months in 2007, 2009 and 2010. We collected a total of 661 crabs,comprising eight species of Pseudothelphusidae of three genera, representing 53% of the 15 pseudothelphusidcrab species currently recorded from Costa Rica. The most common species was Ptychophallus paraxanthusifollowed by P. tristani. Freshwater crabs were more frequently encountered in the middle-low region of thebasin (between 311 and 600 m) and less frequently in the medium-high basin (between 601 and 1,225 m).Ptychophallus paraxanthusi showed the widest distribution and was collected in altitudes ranging from 20 to700 m. The Rio Grande de Térraba region can be considered as a relatively small, but highly diverse system.Therefore, any alteration of the basin of Rio Grande de Térraba, and especially the possible construction of ahydroelectric power plant, needs to be carefully analyzed to mitigate the damaging effects of this project onthe freshwater crabs. More ecological information about freshwater crabs from Costa Rica and the CentralAmerican region are needed to reach a first reasonable overview on the ecological role of these decapods infreshwater systems.
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