Description of three new species of Potamonautes MacLeay, 1838 from the Lake Victoria region in southern Uganda, East Africa (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae)

Abstract

Three new species of potamonautid freshwater crabs are described from the Lake Victoria region in southern Uganda, East Africa. Two of the new species (Potamonautes busungwe sp. nov. and P. entebbe sp. nov.) are from the shores of Lake Victoria, while the third (P. kantsyore sp. nov.) is from an inland locality on the Kagera River that flows into the lake. In addition, two of the new taxa (P. busungwe sp. nov. and P. kantsyore sp. nov.) are among the smallest species of freshwater crabs so far known from Africa. Diagnoses, illustrations and distribution maps are provided for these taxa, which are compared to similar species from Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa.

Keywords

• Potamonautes busungwe sp. nov.
• Potamonautes kantsyore sp. nov.
• Potamonautes entebbe sp. nov.
• Lake Victoria
• Kagera River