Sudanonautes cameroonensis, Mvogo Ndongo & Clark & Rintelen & Cumberlidge, 2024

Mvogo Ndongo, Pierre A., Clark, Paul F., Rintelen, Thomas Von & Cumberlidge, Neil, 2024, Validation of four species of Sudanonautes (Decapoda: Potamonautidae), from Cameroon, Central Africa, Zootaxa 5492 (1), pp. 140-144 : 140-141

Sudanonautes cameroonensis sp. nov.

Sudanonautes cameroonensis Mvogo Ndongo, Clark, von Rintelen & Cumberlidge, 2024: 3 , Figs. 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A—E, 6A—C. [Unavailable]

Type Material. Holotype: Cameroon, Mount Nlonako Wildlife Reserve , near Eyimba, adult ♂ ( CW 48.0, CL 32.9,

CH 18.1, FW 14.3 mm), coll. P.A. Mvogo Ndongo, 14 March 2018 ( ZMB Crust. 33351) . Paratype: Cameroon, Mount

Nlonako Wildlife Reserve , near Eyimba adult ♂ ( CW 48.0, CL 33.3, CH 19.2, FW 14.3 mm), coll. P.A. Mvogo Ndongo ,

14 March 2018 (CARC-17).

Description. Carapace high ( CH /FW 1.31, N = 14), wide (CW/FW 3.30, N = 14). Carapace surface smooth, cervical, urogastric, cardiac, branchial grooves shallow. Exorbital tooth large, clearly distinct, intermediate tooth large and triangular, epibranchial tooth small, granulated. Postfrontal crest distinct yellow in colour, complete, lateral ends curving downwards, meeting carapace lateral margin behind epibranchial tooth, mid-groove on postfrontal crest short, forked. Lateral carapace margin granulated. Carapace branchiostegite with 2 sutures, 1 longitudinal, 1 vertical, dividing sidewall into 3 parts; longitudinal suture dividing suborbital, subhepatic regions from pterygostomial region, beginning at respiratory opening, curving backward across sidewall; short vertical suture dividing suborbital region from subhepatic region; vertical suture beginning at base of intermediate tooth, marked by row of granules, curving sharply down to meet longitudinal suture. Pterygostomial region of carapace sidewall heavily granulated medially, otherwise smooth. S2/3, completely crossing sternum, but shallow; S3/4 incomplete, reduced to one small notch at each side.

Mandible, proximal superior margin of palp TA with small, rounded accessory lobe ca. 1/4 length of TA. Third maxillipeds filling entire buccal cavern except for transversely oval efferent respiratory openings visible at superior lateral corners; exopod with well-developed slender flagellum; ischium with faint vertical sulcus.

Cheliped carpus with 2 pointed teeth, distal tooth larger than proximal; inferior margins of merus each with series of small, granulated teeth, lacking large teeth. Chelipeds of adult male unequal, major cheliped longer, more robust than minor cheliped, cutting edges of fixed (propodus) and moveable (dactylus) fingers without large teeth, minor cheliped lined by row of small, serrated teeth. Walking legs (pereiopods 2–5) moderately robust, posterior margins of propodi serrated with small, pointed teeth, dactyli tapering, each bearing rows of downward pointing large sharp spines.

Male pleon and telson together broadly triangular with straight edges.

Male first gonopod G1TA long (0.8–0.9 × G1SA length), margins lacking setae; in ventral view G1TA distal half curving outward, evenly tapering to pointed tip, G1SA broad basally, tapering to narrow width distally at G1TA-G1SA junction. G2 shorter than G1, reaching only to G1SA-G1TA junction. G2TA extremely short, only one fifteenth as long as G2SA; G2SA widest at base, then tapering sharply inward, forming long, thin, pointed, upright process supporting G2TA; rounded collar at G2SA-G2TA junction

Etymology. The new species is named for Cameroon, in recognition of this country as a key biodiversity area for freshwater crabs.

Remarks. For detailed figures, photographs, coloration, distribution and more distinguishing characters of S. cameroonensis see Mvogo Ndongo et al. (2024).