Genus Potamonautes
South Africa is home to as many as 19 species of Freshwater Crab, all of them from the genus Potamonautes, and up to 14 of those species are not found in any other country, although the experts still differ on exactly how many species there are and what differentiates them from each other.
Potamonautes crabs are equally at home in cold or warm, deep or shallow, clear or murky and flowing or standing water and are a crucial part of healthy freshwater ecosystems; Freshwater Crabs aerate muddy substrate, break down detritus and control populations of micro-organisms while in turn being a source of food for a multitude of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Most species dig tunnels – often well hidden under rocks and logs and in certain species up to 70cm deep – in which they live an amphibious life, spending considerable time out of the water, especially at night.
Female crabs of this genus carry their fertilised eggs – up to 850 – and developing babies in a “purse” formed by their tail below their stomach, releasing them into the water when they are fully formed miniature crabs.