Potamon ibericum
Potamon ibericum
Potamon ibericum is a local crayfish from the family of Potamidae. The large range of the species ranges widely with numerous partly insulated from one another ( disjoint ) occurrences of Southeast Europe to central Asia, in the South of France it is naturalized as neozoon. As freshwater crab inhabits Potamon ibericum streams and rivers, the temperature does not fall below 5 ° C. The animals are omnivores and go out at night to forage on land, in the rain during the day. The species can survive for long periods without water at high humidity.
At least the stocks in Ukraine and on some islands have declined dramatically by habitat destruction, pollution and overexploitation, Potamon ibericum is by IUCN therefore classified as a type of early warning ( near threatened ).
Description
In Potamon ibericum the Carapaxpoberseite is smooth, the carapace looks flat as a whole. The anterior margin of the carapace is cut narrow and regular. The abdomen (abdomen) of the male is slender triangular, the Abdomenseiten are slightly convex. The first gonopodium of the male has a spindle-shaped end member Subterminalglied is slightly stretched. The flexible part between end member and Subterminalglied is club-shaped. The second is located on the mesial Gonopodium (inner) side of the first and Gonopodiums is prolonged.
Distribution and habitat
The large range of the species ranges widely with numerous partly insulated from one another ( disjoint ) occurrences of Southeast Europe to central Asia. The area extends from the northeastern mainland Greece and the islands of the northern Aegean Sea over the catchment areas of the middle and lower Danube, the other tributaries on the south and south-eastern coast of the Black Sea and the Caucasus up to the tributaries of the southern Caspian Sea in Iran and Turkmenistan. In addition, the species is naturalized in southern France as neozoon. The occurrence is located in the Herault River near St. Guilhem le Desert about 350 km to the west of Nice.
Potamon ibericum inhabits streams and rivers. Cyprus is populated up to high altitudes, where the water temperature does not fall below 5 ° C. The type bridged a temporary drying out of their native waters in the river bed in deep tubes and under stones. The species can survive for long periods without water at high humidity.
Way of life
The animals go out at night to forage on land, in the rain during the day. Potamon ibericum is very omnivorous and eats plant and animal material of any kind detected as food include decaying plant material, leaf litter, filamentous green algae, worms, amphipods, insect larvae, mollusks, tadpoles, frogs, fish and carrion. The propagation takes place in the warmer months from June to October. After hatching, the young stay 5-7 days under the abdomen of the female and reach at this time Carapaxbreiten of about 3.6 mm. Thereafter, the pups leave the females and live independently.
Inventory and risk
At least the stocks in Ukraine and on some islands have declined dramatically by habitat destruction, pollution and overexploitation, Potamon ibericum is by IUCN therefore classified as a type of early warning ( near threatened ).