The subterranean ecosystems in tropical areas of Mexico, North of Guatemala & Belize are very abundant because the karstic soil that allow these formations are the main composition in the Yucatán Peninsula and several mountains systems in these countries; also, they have a strong relationship with tropical forest adjacent where the main energy into the caves have an alloctonous origin. In these three countries there are three different cave conditions: a) freshwater semi-dry caves, b) flooded freshwater systems and c) anchialine systems. Mainly crustaceans and freshwater fishes are the major representative group in the aquatic diversity in these systems because the anchialine members are restricted to Yucatán Peninsula and Islands adjacent. Around 5000 entries to subterranean world there are among these countries, where the Yucatan Peninsula is the area with major caves or cenotes in comparison with southern of Mexico, North of Guatemala and Belize. Into these systems are possible found crustaceans and fishes from different families. The objective of this paper is present a review of these systems according with each karstic areas and show the current map including the location of each systems; as well their subterranean aquatic biodiversity and, finally discuss the relationships among these different areas using their biological aquatic richness in consideration with ecological subterranean conditions.
Guatemala is a mega diversity country because it has several ecosystems and the physiography has a high diversity. However, the local population uses this biodiversity as a natural resource of food mainly. The country had three main drainage slopes for their rivers and aquatic reservoirs with several basins (the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Sea). In these slopes, crayfish, freshwater prawns, and crabs compose the aquatic biological resources. Several fieldtrips were performed around these slopes in order to identify the species which were used as natural aquatic resources and verify if the diversity supports the food needs of the local population. Our findings were that the country has at least four crayfish species of genus Procambarus spp., those living in the high and middle altitude areas. Five freshwater prawn species with abbreviated larval development of genus Macrobrachium, that is, Macrobrachium cemai were also found. The bigger species of Macrobrachium was also identified on the three slopes as Macrobrachium americanum, Macrobrachium tenellum, Macrobrachium occidentale, and Macrobrachium digueti on the Pacific slope, while on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, Macrobrachium carcinus, Macrobrachium acanthurus, Macrobrachium heterochirus, Macrobrachium olfersii, and Macrobrachium hobbsi were recorded, and therefore, the nonnative species Macrobrachium rosenbergii; with respect to other shrimps, Palaemon pandaliformis, Palaemonetes octaviae, and atyids as Atya scabra and Potimirim glabra were found. According to the freshwater crabs, the Pseudothelphusidae family is the best to represent in comparison with Trichodactylidae where only one population was recorded. Also, we register the uses of these species around the main markets in the country and we found two main ways: the first one is for the bigger species of freshwater prawns and crabs that are offered very expensive in kilogram and are almost offered in restaurants as exclusive dishes. The second one is more for the local consumption, and many families of fishery species that include crayfishes, freshwater prawns with abbreviated larval development, and smaller crabs, and so on, are sometimes found in the markets, with the prices being cheaper and can be bought only
There are three main drainage slopes in Guatemala; from these around eight Macrobrachium species with extended larval development have been reported. In this paper, we describe the first species with abbreviated larval development for Guatemala, Macrobrachium cemai nov. sp. This is a freshwater prawn of medium size, with large second pereiopods in relation to body size, compared to related species in Mexico and South America. Macrobrachium vicconi Román, Ortega & Mejía, 2000, reported from Chiapas, Mexico, is the closest species geographically. However, M. vicconi is different from Macrobrachium cemai nov. sp. in the scaphocerite proportion, length of the first pereiopods and in the proportions of the second pereiopod, i.e., ratios of carpus/merus, carpus/propodus, palm/dactylus, propodus/dactylus and the rostrum ornamentation. RESUMENGuatemala cuenta con tres vertientes principales, en las cuales se han registrado ocho especies de Macrobrachium con desarrollo larval extendido. En este trabajo se describe la primera especie con desarrollo larval abreviado para Guatemala. Macrobrachium cemai nov. sp. es un langostino de agua dulce de tamaño mediano con los segundos pereiópodos largos en relación a la longitud de su cuerpo; fue comparada con especies afines de Mexico y Suramerica, siendo Macrobrachium vicconi Román, Ortega & Mejía, 2000 especie reportada para Chiapas, Mexico, la más cercana geográficamente. Sin embargo, M. vicconi difiere de Macrobrachium cemai nov. sp. por la proporción del escafocerito, la longitud del primer pereiópodo, así como en las proporciones del segundo pereiópodo especificamente en las relaciones: carpus/merus, carpus/propodio palma/dactilo, propodio/dactilo y en la ornamentación del rostro.
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