Platythelphusa praelongata Marijnissen, Schram, Cumberlidge & Michel, 2004

Reed, Sadie K. & Cumberlidge, Neil, 2006, Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae, Platythelphusidae, Deckeniidae (), Zootaxa 1262 (1), pp. 1-139 : 1-139

24. Platythelphusa praelongata Marijnissen, Schram, Cumberlidge & Michel, 2004

(Fig. 196, plate XXIV)

Platythelphusa praelongata Marijnissen et al., 2004: 525–528 , Fig. 2A–D, Tables 1, 2.

Type material: ZAMBIA: Lake Tanganyika , 40–80 m deep, off Kazi Beach site north of Mbita Island (08 45.226’ S, 31 05.148’ E), adult ovigerous female, holotype (cw 28.8 mm), 19.vi.2002, (local fishermen) ( ZMA De.204595) .

Diagnosis. Carapace subhexagonal, rounded, wider than long (cw/fw 2.7; cl/fw 2.4), very flat (ch/fw 0.9). Anterior margin of front lined by row of large granules, corners of frontal margin rounded, lacking teeth. Exorbital angle produced into broad forwarddirected tooth. Epibranchial tooth small, anteerolateral margin behind epibranchial tooth with one broad tooth, lateral to mesogastric region. Suborbital margin lined with large granules; broad low tooth at medial end. Lateral inferior margin of merus of cheliped granular; superior margin of merus lined with rough granules. Inner margin of carpus of cheliped with two large subequal carpal teeth, articular tooth (at point of articulation with propodus) broad, low; outer margin of carpus granular. Chelipeds straight, elongated, slim, teeth low and even, slight size difference between left and right cheliped. Merus of p5 1.5 times longer than fw; merus of p3–p4 extremely long (2 times longer than fw); subdistal meral tooth on superior margin of merus low, rounded, distal meral tooth not spinous. Propodi of p2–p4 long, smooth with thin margins; dactyli of p3–p4 long, slim, straight, no spines on superior margins, row of small spines on inferior margins.

Color. Carapace of recently preserved specimens (after one month) is orange­pink; tips of chelipeds and pereiopods white; propodus and dactylus of chelipeds red.

Distribution. The species is known only from the vicinity of Mbita Island, Zambia and was collected by fishermen in deep water (between 40 and 80 meters).

Remarks. For the complete description see Marijnissen et al. (2004). Platythelphusa praelongata is known only from a single specimen and from a single locality, and its conservation status is considered to be vulnerable (VU) ( Table 4) ( IUCN 2004).