Macrobrachium nattereri ( Heller, 1862 )

Valencia, Diego M. & Campos, Martha R., 2007, Freshwater prawns of the genus Macrobrachium Bate, 1868 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) of Colombia, Zootaxa 1456, pp. 1-44 : 25-27

Macrobrachium nattereri ( Heller, 1862)

Fig. 13 A–D

Palaemon nattereri Heller, 1862: 414 .

Macrobrachium nattereri, Holthuis, 1952: 83 .— Rodríguez, 1981: 45, 47.— Rodríguez, 1982: 386.— Kensley & Walker, 1982: 9.— Magalhães & Walker, 1988: 285.— Magalhães, 1989: 79.— Campos, 1997: 232.— Melo, 2003: 364.

(For detailed synonymy refer to Holthuis, 1952).

Material examined.

Amazonas: Leticia. Corregimiento La Pedrera, Angostura, 130 m asl, 12 Nov 1994, leg. M. R. Campos, 1 male, 1 ovigerous female, ICN-MHN-CR 1417.— Corregimiento La Pedrera, La Tonina stream, 120 m asl, 6 Nov 1994, leg. M. R. Campos, 1 male, ICN-MHN-CR 1391.— Corregimiento La Pedrera, Makuna Community, Centro Providencia, in stream, 180 m asl, 14 – 15 Nov 1994, leg. M. R. Campos, 15 males, 5 females, 2 ovigerous, ICN-MHN-CR 1423, 1428, 1432.— Corregimiento La Pedrera, Tamaritagua Community, in stream, 120 - 150 m asl, 10, 12 Nov 1994, leg. M. R. Campos, 4 males, 2 ovigerous females, ICN-MHN-CR 1402, 1419.— Corregimiento La Pedrera, Tamaritagua Community, La Tonina stream, 120 m asl, 12 Nov 1994, leg. M. R. Campos, 11 males, 2 females, 1 ovigerous, ICN-MHN-CR 1411.

Diagnosis.

Rostrum nearly straight, distal part slightly curved downward, as long as or slightly shorter than scaphocerite, upper margin with 9 to 13 teeth regularly spaced, including 3–4 teeth completely post orbital, lower margin 3 to 4 teeth; carapace covered with spinules on anterolateral surface, low extreme of abdominal pleurae with some spinules; telson terminal margin ending with sharp midpoint, flanked by two pairs of spinules, internal pair overreaching midpoint and external pair. First pair of pereopods overreaching scaphocerite with total length of carpus. Second pair of pereopods elongated, prominent, similar in shape, different in size, covered with spines, which are prominent on ventral and internal surfaces, the larger second pereopod overreaching scaphocerite with total length of carpus or with distal portion of merus; merus 0.82 to 0.86 x carpus length, 0.55 to 0.63 x palm length; carpus 2.31 to 2.41 x as long as wide, 0.65 to 0.76 x palm length; palm protuberant laterally, 3.28 to 3.80 x as long as wide, 2.37 to 2.66 x longer than high with spines of different size on internal margin; fingers gaping when closed, 0.63 to 0.77 x palm length, a prominent tooth on midcutting edge of mobile finger, followed by 1 to 3 small teeth on its proximal portion; a prominent tooth on midcutting edge of fixed finger, followed by 2 to 3 small teeth on its base.

Size. The largest male TL 71.5 mm, CL 21.0 mm; the largest female TL 43.6 mm, CL 12.0 mm; 6 ovigerous females were examined: TL 33.4 to 41.2 mm, CL 9.4 to 11.0 mm, with large and few number of eggs.

Remarks

This species is most similar to Macrobrachium brasiliense ( Heller, 1862) . The two can be distinguished by differences in the second pair of pereopods in adult males. The palm in M. brasiliense is subcylindrical, more than 3 times longer than high, and shows spines of similar size on internal margin, whereas it is swollen laterally, less than 3 times longer than high and presents spines of different size on internal margin in M. nattereri ; the fingers in M. brasiliense are usually less than 0.6 times the palm length, whereas it is more than 0.6 times in M. nattereri .

Macrobrachium nattereri is also similar to M. cortezi Rodríguez, 1982 . The two can be distinguished by differences in the carapace and the size of the adult males. The anterolateral surface of the carapace in M. cortezi is smooth; whereas it is covered by spinules in M. nattereri . The total length of the adult males in M. nattereri reaches 70 mm, whereas it is shorter than 52.6 mm in M. cortezi .

Escobar (1979) recorded Macrobrachium nattereri from NE of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, from the Manzanares, Piedras, Mendiguaca and Machaca Rivers. However, this species is known from the Orinoco and Amazon basins, corresponding to continental rivers. A characteristic of M. nattereri is its low fecundity and abbreviate larval development, which corresponds exclusively to continental species ( Magalhães & Walker, 1988, Magalhães, 1989). Thus, it appears that the Escobar’s localities may have been misreported.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Macrobrachium nattereri (Heller, 1862) male, ICN-MHN-CR 1428: A, anterior part of body, lateral view; B, telson, dorsal view; C, chela of second pereopod, dorsal view; D, second pereopod, lateral view.