Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5792 No. 3: 14 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.8
Page range: 573-580
Abstract views: 93
PDF downloaded: 4

First report of the king crab Neolithodes asperrimus Barnard, 1947 (Crustacea: Lithodidae) from the Brazilian Amazon continental slope

Laboratório de Crustáceos (LabCrus); Instituto Socioambiental e dos Recursos Hídricos (ISARH); Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA); Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves; nº 2501; Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aquática e Pesca da Amazônia (PPGEAP-UFPA); Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca (NEAP-UFPA); Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). Rua do INPE; S/N - Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil
Laboratório de Crustáceos (LabCrus); Instituto Socioambiental e dos Recursos Hídricos (ISARH); Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA); Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves; nº 2501; Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aquática e Pesca da Amazônia (PPGEAP-UFPA); Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca (NEAP-UFPA); Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). Rua do INPE; S/N - Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil
Laboratório de Crustáceos (LabCrus); Instituto Socioambiental e dos Recursos Hídricos (ISARH); Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA); Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves; nº 2501; Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aquática e Pesca da Amazônia (PPGEAP-UFPA); Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca (NEAP-UFPA); Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). Rua do INPE; S/N - Terra Firme; Belém; Pará; Brasil
Crustacea Lithodid crabs ReviZEE program Crustacean biodiversity morphological data Amazonian crustaceans

Abstract

The family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 is composed of deep-sea crabs that inhabit continental and insular slopes, cold seeps, hydrothermal vents and abyssal plains. In the Atlantic Ocean, five species of the genus Neolithodes A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894 have been reported, of which only two species were recorded from Brazilian waters, with all occurrences restricted to northeastern and southeastern regions. Herein we report a new occurrence of the lithodid Neolithodes asperrimus Barnard, 1947, from the Brazilian Amazon continental slope, highlighting the morphological comparisons with the closely related species, Neolithodes agassizii (Smith, 1882), based on data available in the literature. The male specimen of N. asperrimus was collected during surveys conducted under the ReviZEE Program [Assessment of the Sustainable Potential of Living Resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone (Northern Brazil)], using a commercial fishing net at depths of up to 1100 m, between 1996 and 2001. Our specimen of N. asperrimus was morphologically compared to N. agassizii from the literature, and we observed that both species share several morphological characters. We consider only the proportion of merus length relative to carapace length and the spinulation of the walking legs to be useful in separating these two species. Additionally, the presence of N. asperrimus in the Amazon continental slope increases its geographic distribution, corresponding to the second observation of this species in Brazilian deep waters. This new record is an important contribution to the understanding of distributional patterns of lithodid species in Brazil and to the increase in biodiversity data of crustaceans from the Brazilian Amazon region.

 

References

  1. Ahyong, S.T. (2010) The marine fauna of New Zealand: King crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir, 123, 1–196.
  2. Alves-Júnior, F.A., Santana, J.L., Araújo, M.S.L.C. & Souza-Filho, J.F. (2019) New records of two deep-sea crabs of the Family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea: Decapoda) in the Southwestern Atlantic. Thalassas, 35, 117–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-018-0098-6
  3. Barnard, K.H. (1947) Descriptions of new species of South African decapod Crustacea, with notes on synonymy and new records. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 11, 13 (102), 361–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222934608654562
  4. Barnard, K.H. (1950) Descriptive catalogue of South African decapod Crustacea (crabs and shrimps). Annals of the South African Museum, 38, 1–837.
  5. Brandt, J.F. (1848) Die Gattung Lithodes Latreille nebst vier neuer ihr ver wandten von Wosnessenski entdeckten, als Typen einer besondern Unter abtheilung (Tribus Lithodea) der Edward’shen Anomuren. Bulletin de la Classe physico-mathématique de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint Pétersbourg, 7 (11), 171–176.
  6. Hall, S. & Thatje, S. (2018) Evolution through cold and deep waters: the molecular phylogeny of the Lithodidae (Crustacea: Decapoda). The Science of Nature, 105, 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1544-2
  7. Kensley, B. (1968) Deep Sea Decapod Crustacea from west of Cape Point, South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum, 50, 283–323.
  8. Kensley, B. (1974) Type specimens of Decapoda (CRUSTACEA) in the Collection of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum, 66 (4), 55–80.
  9. Kensley, B. (1978) Decapod crustaceans collected in southern African waters by Th. Mortensen, Java-South Africa expedition (Crustacea, Decapoda). Steenstrupia, 4, 249–261.
  10. Kensley, B. (1981) On the zoogeography of southern Africa Decapod Crustacea with a distributional checklist of the species. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 338, 1–64. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.338
  11. Latreille, P.A. (1806) Genera crustaceorum et insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in familias disposita, iconibus exemplisque plurimis explicata. A. Koenig, Paris, 296 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.65741
  12. Lianos, L., Mollemberg, M.C., Lima, D.J.M. & Santana, W. (2017) New records of king crabs (Decapoda, Anomura, Lithodidae) from Southern Brazil. Crustaceana, 90 (7–10), 981–988. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685403-00003666
  13. Lima, D., Boss, H. & Tavares, M. (2023) Six new records of decapod crustacean species (Anomura, Brachyura) from southern Brazil. Nauplius, 31, e2023015. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2023015
  14. Macpherson, E. (1983) Crustáceos Decápodos capturados en las costas de Namibia. Resultados de Expediciones Científicas, 11, 3–79.
  15. Macpherson, E. (1988a) Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean. Monografías de Zoología Marina, 2, 1–153. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004627369
  16. Macpherson, E. (1988b) Lithodid crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Lithodidae) from Madagascar and La Réunion (SW Indian Ocean) with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 10 (1), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.287499
  17. Macpherson, E. (1991) Biogeography and community structure of the decapod crustacean fauna off Namibia (Southeast Atlantic). Journal of Crustacean Biology, 11 (3), 401–415. https://doi.org/10.2307/1548466
  18. Matos-Pita, S.S., Ramil, F. & Ramos, A. (2018) Marine lobsters and lithodids (Crustacea: Decapoda) from Mauritanian deep-waters (NW Africa). Regional Studies in Marine Science, 23, 32–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2018.01.001
  19. McLaughlin, P.A. (2014) Systematics of king crabs. In: Stevens, B.G. (Ed.), King crabs of the world: biology and fisheries management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1201/b16664-3
  20. McLaughlin, P.A., Komai, T., Lemaitre, R. & Rahayu, D.L. (2010) Annotated checklist of anomuran decapod crustaceans of the world (exclusive of the Kiwaoidea and families Chirostylidae and Galatheidae of the Galatheoidea). Part I—Lithodoidea, Lomisoidea and Paguroidea. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 23, 5–107.
  21. Milne-Edwards, A. & Bouvier, E.L. (1894) Troiséme campagne du yacht l’Hirondelle, 1887. Neolithodes. Genre nouveau de la sous-famille des Lithodinés. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 19, 120–122. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.1573
  22. Muñoz, I. & García-Isarch, E. (2013) New occurrences of lithodid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae) from the coasts of Africa, with the description of a new species of Paralomis White, 1856. Zootaxa, 3670 (1), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3670.1.3
  23. Otto, R.S. (2006) A review of worldwide fisheries for lithodid crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Lithodidae) and their fluctuations. Crustacean Research, 6, 167–185. https://doi.org/10.18353/crustacea.Special2006.6_167
  24. Padate, V.P., Cubelio, S.S. & Takeda, K. (2020) Description of a new species of deep-water king-crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the southeastern Arabian Sea. Zootaxa, 4845 (1), 71–82. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4845.1.5
  25. Poore, G.C.B. & Ahyong, S.T. (2023) Marine decapod Crustacea: a guide to the families and genera of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, xii + 916 pp. https://doi.org/10.1071/9781486311798
  26. Samouelle, G. (1819) The entomologists’ useful compendium; or an introduction to the knowledge of British Insects. Thomas Boys, London, 496 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.34177
  27. Serejo, C.S., Young, P.S., Cardoso, I.A., Tavares, C., Rodrigues, C. & Almeida, T.C. (2007) Abundância, diversidade e zonação dos crustáceos no talude da costa central do Brasil (11°–22° S) coletados pelo Programa REVIZEE/Score Central: prospecção pesqueira. In: Costa, P.A.S., Olavo, G. & Martins, A.S. (Eds.), Biodiversidade da fauna marinha profunda na costa central brasileira. Série Livros. No. 24. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, pp. 133–162.
  28. Smith, S.I. (1882) Report on the Crustacea. Part 1. Decapoda. Reports on the results of dredging under the supervisión of Alexander Agassiz, on the east coast of the United States during the summer of 1880, by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer “Blake”, Commander J.R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. Bulletin of the Museum of comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 10 (1), 1–108. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.62581
  29. Silva, K.C.A., Cintra, I.H.A., Ramos-Porto, M., Viana, G.F.S., Abrunhosa, F.A. & Cruz, R. (2020) Update on crustaceans known from the Amazonian continental shelf and adjacent oceanic areas. Crustaceana, 93, 687–701. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685403-bja10062
  30. Stevens, B.G. & Lovrich, G.A. (2014) King crabs of the world: species and distributions. In: Stevens, B.G. (Ed.), King crabs of the world: biology and fisheries management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1201/b16664-2
  31. Takeda, M. (1983) Crustaceans. In: Takeda, M. & Okutani, T. (Eds.), Crustaceans and mollusks trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Center, Tokyo, pp. 19–185.
  32. White, A. (1856) Some remarks on Crustacea of the genus Lithodes with a brief description of a species apparently hitherto unrecorded. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1856, 132–135, pls. 42.

How to Cite

Martins, D.E.G., Alves-Júnior, F.D.A., Cintra, I.H.A. & Bentes, B. (2026) First report of the king crab Neolithodes asperrimus Barnard, 1947 (Crustacea: Lithodidae) from the Brazilian Amazon continental slope. Zootaxa, 5792 (3), 573–580. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.8