Marojejy longimerus Cumberlidge, Boyko and Harvey, 2002

Cumberlidge, N., Reed, S. K. & Boyko, C. B., 2004, Distribution patterns of the Malagasy freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Journal of Natural History 38, pp. 1133-1157 : 1148-1151

Marojejy longimerus Cumberlidge, Boyko and Harvey, 2002

(figures 3A, 5) Marojejy longimerus Cumberlidge, Boyko and Harvey, 2002: 67–71 , figures 1–3; Cumberlidge and Sternberg, 2002: 71, 73, figures 2F, 3H, 4G, 5G, 6H, 7O, P, 8F, 10I, J, 11E, tables 1,

3, 4.

Material examined. Madagascar; one male (cw 21.6 mm), Marojejy , camp IV, 1600 m asl, 14°26∞S, 49°44∞E ( FMNH 6640 ). Two males (cws 18.5, 23.2 mm) , one female (cw 20 mm), Marojejy , camps IV and V, 1600–1900 m asl, 14°26∞S, 49°44∞E ( FMNH 6635 ) .

Type locality. Andranomifototra River (14°26∞8∞∞S, 49°44∞1∞∞E) 1875 m, 11 km north-west of Manantenina , Province d’Antsiranana, Réserve Naturelle Intégrale (now Parc National) de Marojejy , Madagascar .

Distribution. This monotypic genus is known only from the Parc National de Marojejy in Antsiranana Province, in the northern highlands of Madagascar (figures 3A, 5). The northern highlands are geographically separated from the classically defined central highlands by a low-lying area in the Madritsara divide that topographically isolates these two zones (Carleton and Goodman, 1998). M. longimerus has so far been collected only at high altitudes, and the specimens reported here, as well as the type specimens (AMNH 17833, FMNH 4656), were all collected between 1600 and 1900 m asl. Hydrothelphusa madagascariensis is also found in the Parc National de Marojejy , but at slightly lower elevations, between 800 and 1200 m asl.

Conservation status. Marojejy longimerus is restricted to high-altitude forest, it is known only from a few specimens, and was only discovered in the last 2 years. Its conservation status is extremely rare/highly endangered ( table 1). This species is found in a protected area, the Parc National de Marojejy (Antsiranana Province).