Beneath the surface: two new burrowing crayfish species of Parastacus Huxley, 1879 (Malacostraca, Decapoda, Parastacidae) from the Mirim-São Gonçalo Basin, southern Brazil

What is it about?

New Burrowing Crayfish Species Discovered in Southern Brazil Researchers have identified two new species of burrowing crayfish in Pelotas, southern Brazil. Parastacus schubarti sp. nov. is distinguished by its unique features such as a septagonal anteromedian lobe on the epistome and large spines on the telson's lateral margins. Meanwhile, Parastacus dincaoi sp. nov. stands out with its broad pleon and small blunt spines on the telson. These discoveries highlight the region's biodiversity but also indicate threats from habitat degradation due to deforestation, fragmentation, agriculture, and livestock. Due to their limited known distribution, both species are categorized as Data Deficient, underscoring the need for further research and conservation efforts in the area.

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