Diversity and distribution of fiddler crabs (Brachyura: Ocypodidae: Uca) from China, with new records from Hainan island in the South China sea

Abstract

The fiddler crab fauna (Brachyura: Ocypodidae: Uca) of China is reviewed. Thirteen species are recognised here, viz. Uca acuta (Stimpson, 1858), U. annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), U. arcuata (De Haan, 1835), U. borealis Crane, 1975, U. coarctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1852), U. crassipes (Adams & White, 1848), U. dussumieri (H. Milne Edwards, 1852), U. lactea (De Haan, 1835), U. paradussumieri Bott, 1973, U. tetragonon (Herbst, 1790), U. triangularis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873), U. typhoni Crane, 1975, and U. vocans (Linnaeus, 1758). Two females of U. typhoni collected from southern Hainan Island represent the first record of this species from China and East Asia. Two males of U. tetragonon collected from southern Hainan also represent a new record for China. The Uca fauna of southern Hainan is biogeographically distinct being different from those of northern Hainan and continental China, with U. annulipes, U. tetragonon, U. typhoni, and U. vocans common in Southeast Asia. In addition, continental China also lacks some insular species such as U. coarctata, U. formosensis Rathbun, 1921, U. jocelynae Shih, Naruse & Ng, 2010, U. perplexa (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), and U. tetragonon which are common in the East Asian islands of Taiwan and the Ryukyus. Copyright © 2010 · Magnolia Press.