A Brief History of Freshwater Crab Research

Abstract

The history of the study of the biology of freshwater crabs is described from the first records in ancient Greece up to the present day. Today, hundreds of scientists from all parts of the world are engaged in the study of all aspects of freshwater crab biology from field studies of their ecology to molecular studies of their systematics and genetics. The first mention of the occurrence of freshwater crabs is by the Roman author Claudius Aelianus, then Aristoteles, Belon, Linne, A. Milne-Edwards, James wood-Mason, Mary Jane Rathbun, Major Alfred Alcock, Stanley Kemp, Jean Roux, Heinrich Balss, and Richard Bott in Europe developed the study.

Michael Türkay: Deceased 9th September 2015.

Appendices

Appendix

In remembrance of Professor Michael Türkay (1948–2015).

Professor Michael Türkay passed away suddenly on 9th September 2015 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, immediately before submitting the manuscript of his chapter on the history of freshwater decapods (Sect. 4.1, this volume). The second author (MS) was a colleague of MTs at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt and completed the unfinished manuscript along with one of the editors (NC). The following is an account of MTs contributions and leadership in the field of freshwater decapod biology.

In August 2014 the first author (TK), visited Professor Michael Türkay (MT) the Curator of the Crustacean Section at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Germany (hereafter Senckenberg Museum) who was hosting the 8th International Crustacean Congress (ICC-8). TK and MT discussed the history of freshwater decapod systematics and the natural history of freshwater crayfish, and the importance of the museum’s collection of crayfish. This meeting is summarized here to make it available to other scientists interested in the biology of freshwater decapods, and to serve as an illustration of Michael Türkay’s vast knowledge of crustacean biology.

Michael Türkay succeeded Dr. Richard Bott as the Curator of the Crustacean Section of the Senkenberg Research Institute (Türkay 1974a, b, 1975). At that time Dr. Bott was one of the most accomplished freshwater crab taxonomists and had also published the first comprehensive revisionary work on Europe’s freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidae) (Bott 1950). Freshwater crayfish (Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parastacide) are a monophyletic group (Scholtz 1995) of exclusively freshwater decapods that are never found in marine environments (Crandall et al. 2000; Scholtz 2002). The distribution of crayfish worldwide is disjunctive: for example, astacid species are found only in northwestern North America and in western Europe but this family is absent from the rest of the USA. Bott tried to answer this enigmatic distribution of astacid crayfish but found it difficult to collect samples in Europe immediately after the end of World War II. But despite this, he collected samples of Pacifastacus leniusculus from the Pacific northwest of the USA with the help of the French Army, and these specimens are still in the Crustacean collection of the Senckenberg Research Institute (Fig. 4.1). While collecting in the USA Dr. Bott hid his collecting equipment (including a microscope) under a large winter overcoat, and managed to publish detailed taxonomic revisions of astacid crayfish. Dr. Bott established the American astacid genus Pacifastacus based on his specimens from North America that contributed to his systematic studies of the European astacid species of Astacus and Austropotamobius. This taxonomic work is still one of the best taxonomic contributions of its time that was produced at a time when relations between Germany and other European countries and the U.S.A. were still delicate immediately following the end of World War II.

Fig. 4.1

Specimens of Pacifastacus leniusculus from Portland, Jonson Creek, Oregon, U.S.A. (lot number SMF 1438, in Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum)

The efforts of Dr. Bott to establish international partnerships that contribute to the understanding of crustacean systematics and morphology were continued by his successor, MT, who was already known for his friendship with Japan. MT visited Japan in 1979 to meet the past president of the Carcinological Society of Japan, Dr. Tune Sakai, and they subsequently established a productive scientific partnership, including the gift of a large number of specimens of crustaceans collected by Dr. Sakai that are now in the Senckenberg Museum as the “Tune Sakai Collection”. Dr. Sakai also gave MT his Japanese name “美蛙鶴飼” (meaning keeper of beautiful frogs and cranes (birds)) (Türkay 1981, 1987).

MT spent a great deal of time promoting developments in crustacean research including hosting large international conferences such as the 21st International Senckenberg-Conference on the Biology of Freshwater Decapods (2010), and the ICC-8 world congress (2014) that were of immense value to the entire international scientific community. It was during the world crustacean congress (ICC-8) on the 3rd day of the conference that MT became ill. Despite this setback he was eager to return, telling his wife Heide: “I must get better and go back to the conference”. The sharing of knowledge throughout the international crustacean community was a great passion in his life. After the conference MT gave the first author souvenir gifts from the ICC-8 that bore his signature, and indicated that these could be sold at a charity auction to raise support for research on crustacean biology. There is no doubt that Michael Türkay’s contributions to crustacean science deserve to be recognized by carcinologists worldwide.

Contributions by Michael Türkay to Freshwater Decapod Biology

Besides organizing the ICC world congress in 2014, Michael Türkay also organized the 21st International Senckenberg-Conference in 2010 on the Biology of Freshwater Decapods in Frankfurt am Main from December 8–10. There were 45 full participants from 10 countries and five continents at the conference who presented 27 papers and/or 12 posters on recent taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, life history, and conservation of freshwater crabs, anomurans, prawns, and crayfish. The proceedings of the conference were published in a book entitled: “Advances in Freshwater Decapod Systematics and Biology” that was edited by Darren Yeo, Neil Cumberlidge, and Sebastian Klaus, and published by Crustaceana Monographs 19, Brill, 296 pp.

Michael Türkay authored over 300 publications, The following is a list of publications by MT that focus on freshwater decapods.

• 1. Magalhães C and M Türkay (1986). Brasiliothelphusa, a new Brazilian freshwater-crab genus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae). Senckenbergiana biologica 66: 371–376, Abb.1-2; Frankfurt a. M.

• 2. Türkay M and P Naiyanetr (1987). The identity of Potamon rangoonense Rathbun 1904 and Thelphusa larnaudii A. Milne-Edwards 1869, with introduction of Neolarnaudia botti n.g. n.sp. (Crustacea: Decapoda: Potamidae). Senckenbergiana biologica 67: 389–396, Abb.1–6; Frankfurt a. M.

• 3. Türkay M (1987). Freshwater crab records of the Northern Sporades (Crustacea: De-capoda: Potamidae). Biologia Gallo-Hellenica 13: 47–50; Athen.

• 4. Türkay M and P Naiyanetr (1989). Ranguna Bott, 1966 and Larnaudia Bott, 1966 (Crustacea, Decapoda): proposed fixation of Thelphusa longipes A.Milne-Ed-wards, 1869 and Thelphusa larnaudii A.Milne-Edwards, 1869 as the respective type species. The Bulletin of zoological nomenclature 46: 101–103, London.

• 5. Türkay M and R Diesel (1994). Description of a new species of Sesarma from Jamaica with notes on its occurrence and biology. Senckenbergiana biologica 74): 157–161; 1–5.

• 6. Magalhães C and M Türkay (1996). Taxonomy of the neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae. I. The generic system with description of some new genera (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Senckenbergiana biologica 75: 63–95, Figs. 1-50, Tables 1-2.

• 7. Magalhães C and M Türkay (1996). Taxonomy of the neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae. II. The genera Forsteria, Melocarcinus, Sylviocarcinus, and Zilchiopsis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Senckenbergiana biologica 75: 97–130, Figs. 1-57; Frankfurt a. M.

• 8. Magalhães C and M Türkay (1996). Taxonomy of the neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae. III. The genera Fredilocarcinus and Goyazana (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Senckenbergiana biologica 75: 131–142, Figs. 1-11; Frankfurt a. M.

• 9. Schubart CD, J. Reimer, R Diesel, M Türkay (1997). Taxonomy and ecology of two endemic freshwater crabs from western Jamaica with the description of a new Sesarma species. Journal of Natural History 31: 303–419, Figs. 1-7.

• 10. Türkay M and AY Dai (1997). Review of Chinese freshwater crabs previously placed in the genus Malayapotamon Bott, 1968 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 45: 189–207, Text-Figs. 1-7, pl.1; Singapore.

• 11. Dai AY and M Türkay (1997). Revision of the Chinese freshwater crabs previously placed in the genus Isolapotamon Bott, 1968 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 45: 237–264, Text-Figs. 1-11, plates 1-2; Singapore.

• 12. Brandis D, Storch V and M. Türkay (1998). The status of the freshwater crab populations of the Khabur River (Syria). Journal of Natural History 32: 1439–1445, Abb. 1-3.

• 13. Türkay M (1998). Notes on the Mediterranean nematocarcinid shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea). Journal of Natural History 32: 1787–1794, Table 1, Abb. 1-4.

• 14. Brandis D, Storch V and M Türkay (1999). Morphology and function of the copulatory system in freshwater crabs of the genus Potamon. Journal of Morphology 239: 157–166, Text-Figs. 1-4.

• 15. Brandis D, Storch V and M Türkay (2000). Taxonomy and zoogeography of the freshwater crabs of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle east (Crustacea, Decapoda, Potamidae). Senckenbergiana biologica 80: 5–56, Table 1, Text-Figs. 1-18.

• 16. Magalhães C and M Türkay (2008). Taxonomy of the Neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae, IV. The genera Dilocarcinus and Poppiana (Crustacea, Decapoda, Trichodactylidae). Senckenbergiana biologica 88: 185–215, Text-Figs. 1-25.

• 17. Magalhães C and M. Türkay (2008). Taxonomy of the Neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae, V. The genera Bottiella and Rotundovaldivia (Crustacea, Decapoda, Trichodactylidae). Senckenbergiana biologica 88: 217–230, Text-Figs. 1-18.

• 18. Magalhães C and M. Türkay (2008). A new species of Kingsleya from the Yanomami Indians areain the upper Rio Orinoco, Venezuela (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Pseudothelphusidae). Senckenbergiana Biology 88: 231–237, Text-Figs. 1-4.

• 19. Magalhães C, Türkay M and DB Means (2009). The status of Kunziana Pretzmann, 1971 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae), with a redescription of the holotype of K. irengis Pretzmann, 1971. Zootaxa 2276: 40–48, Text-Figs. 1-4.

• 20. Magalhães C and M Türkay (2010). A new freshwater crab of the genus Brasiliothelphusa Magalhães and Türkay, 1986 from Rio Aripuanã, southern Amazon Region, Brazil (Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae). Nauplius 18: 103–108, Text-Figs. 1-7.

• 21. Magalhães C and M. Türkay (2012). Taxonomy of the Neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae. VI. The genera Avotrichodactylus and Rodriguezia (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae). Nauplius 20: 27–40, Text-Figs. 1-20.

• 22. Magalhães C, Campos MR and M Türkay (2013). Freshwater crabs from eastern Panamá: a new species of Potamocarcinus H. Milne Edwards, 1853, and new records of two little-known species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae, Trichodactylidae). Zootaxa 3702: 348–356, Text-Figs. 1-3.

• 23. Klaus S and Türkay M (2014). Freshwater crab systematics and biogeography: The legacy of Richard Bott (*1902–†1974). In: Yeo D, N Cumberlidge, S Klaus (eds.), Advanced Freshwater Decapod Systematics and Biology. Crustaceana Monographs 19: 7–16, Figs. 1-3.

The following is a collection of biographies of carcinologists who have contributed to the present-day knowledge of freshwater crab systematics.

African Freshwater Crab Carcinologists

• Heinrich Balss

• Keppel Harcourt Barnard

• Richard Bott

• Louis-Eugene Bouvier

• William Thomas Calman

• Fenner Albert Chace

• Colosi

• Neil Cumberlidge

• Savel Daniels

• Isabella Gordon

• Franz Hilgendorf

• Johannes Govertus de Man

• Alphonse Milne-Edwards

• Henri Milne-Edwards

• Theodore Monod

• Nobili

• Mary Rathbun

Europe and Asian Freshwater Crabs

• Alfred William Alcock

• Heinrich Balss

• Richard Bott

• Louis-Eugene Bouvier

• Colosi

• Ai Yun Dai

• Johannes Govertus de Man

• Stanley Wells Kemp

• Franz Hilgendorf

• Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis

• Alphonse Milne-Edwards

• Henri Milne-Edwards

• Phaibul Naiyanetr

• Peter K. L. Ng

• Nobili

• Mary Jane Rathbun

• Hsi-Te Shih

• Darren Yeo

New World

• Fernando Alvarez

• Jose-Luis Villalobos

• Richard Bott

• Fenner Albert Chace

• Célio Magalahães

• Alphonse Milne-Edwards

• Henri Milne-Edwards

• Gerhard Pretzmann

• Gilberto Rodriguez

• Alfred Smalley

• Ingo Whertmann

• Mary Jane Rathbun