Distribution of cave-dwelling Aegla spp. (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae) from the Alto Ribeira karstic area in southeastern Brazil based on geomorphological evidence

Allometric growth, sexual maturity and reproductive cycle of Aegla castro (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae) from Itatinga, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

“…Aegla is unique among anomurans because all 78 species described so far (see checklist by McLaughlin et al, 2010, augmented by description of new species published afterwards by Santos et al, 2012; are endemic to continental South America from latitude 70°S, in Chile to latitude 20°S in Brazil (Bueno et al, 2007;Oyanedel et al, 2011), and are entirely adapted to freshwater habitats, such as lakes, rivers and streams (Schmitt, 1942;Martin and Abele, 1988;Bond-Buckup and Buckup, 1994). Most species are found in epigean habitats (Bond-Buckup et al, 2008) but few species are obligate inhabitants of subterranean habitats (Türkay, 1972;Bond-Buckup and Buckup, 1994;Fernandes et al, 2013).…”

A new species of stygobitic aeglid from lentic subterranean waters in southeastern Brazil, with an unusual morphological trait: short pleopods in adult males

“…Syntopic distribution, however, have been reported between stygobitic and stygophilic species, such as the stygobitic A. leptochela and the stygophilic A. marginata in the "dos Paiva" cave, and between the stygobitic A. microphthalma and the stygophilic A. schmitti in the Santana cave (BondBuckup and Buckup, 1994;Fernandes et al, 2013;Maia et al, 2013). This is not the case of A. charon n. sp.…”

“…As of 2016, eighty-three nominal species and subspecies have been described , all of them endemic to temperate and subtropical regions of continental South America . Most aeglids inhabit epigean habitats; however, three species have been described as obligate cavedwellers (stygobites) from the Alto Ribeira karst region in southeastern Brazil: Aegla cavernicola Türkay, 1972, Aegla leptochela Bond-Buckup andBuckup, 1994, and Aegla microphthalma Bond-Buckup and Buckup, 1994. In the same karst area, Aegla strinatii Türkay, 1972, Aegla schmitti Hobbs III, 1978, and Aegla marginata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 were the three other aeglid species reported to form stygophilic populations, which are capable of moving freely between the epigean and the subterranean worlds (Rocha and Bueno 2004;2011;Fernandes et al, 2013;Maia et al, 2013).…”

“…This paper provides detailed morphological description of aeglid specimens sampled from "Lago Subterrâneo" cave (Portuguese for Subterranean Lake), one of four stygobitic aeglid new material recently reported from the Alto Ribeira karst region by Fernandes et al (2013); each of which with the potential for constituting a new species yet to be formally described.…”

Diversity of Potamolithus (Littorinimorpha, Truncatelloidea) in a high-diversity spot for troglobites in southeastern Brazil: role of habitat fragmentation in the origin of subterranean fauna, and conservation status

“…Therefore, in the Alto Ribeira karst area, the interglacial phases would be times of colonization of caves and establishment of troglophilic populations, alternating with glacial dry phases when forests would be substituted by open vegetation and the epigean drainage would be disrupted, isolating those troglophilic populations in the subterranean environment Britski 1992, Trajano 1995). This model was recently proposed by Fernandes et al (2013) to explain the diversity of troglobitic anomuran crustaceans, genus Aegla Leach, 1820, in the Alto Ribeira.…”