v7i1.153

Submitted date: 13 March 2014
Accepted date: 18 May 2014
Published date: 19 January 2015
Pp. 38–39.

Range extension of Perbrinckia scansor (Crustacea) in Sri Lanka

D.E. Gabadage, U.S.C. Udagedara & D.M.S.S. Karunarathna
*Corresponding author. E-mail: degabadage@gmail.com

Perbrinckia scansor (Ng, 1995) is the only known tree-climbing freshwater crab among the 52 freshwater crab species of Sri Lanka. According to published literature, this endemic species was recorded in eleven localities (elevation range 150–960m a.s.l) in the Kalu, Walawe and Gin River basins and assessed as “Least Concern”, but again this species was categorised as Endangered. This species is a habitat specialist with adults living in rainwater-filled phytotelms from about ground level up to 1 m above ground. We recorded the distribution of P. scansor from 47 localities through opportunistic observations within the period 2005–2010.

Section Editor: M.M. Bahir