Discovery of two new populations of the rare endemic freshwater crab Louisea yabassi Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen & Cumberlidge, 2019 (Brachyura: Potamonautidae) from the Ebo Forest near Yabassi in Cameroon, Central Africa, with recommendations for conservation action

Abstract

The endemic freshwater crab, Louisea yabassi Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen & Cumberlidge, 2019, is currently only known from three populations in the biodiversity-rich rainforests of southwestern Cameroon.\xa0 The first record of L. yabassi dates back to 1908 from Yabassi, while the other two populations were discovered in December 2019 and March 2020 from the Ebo Forest near Yabassi.\xa0 These specimens were initially identified as L. edeaensis (Bott, 1969), but were subsequently assigned to L. yabassi.\xa0 The newly-discovered populations of L. yabassi provided important data on its habitat, population structure and geographical distribution, all critical knowledge for conservation measures.\xa0 Reported here are the anthropogenic threats to L. yabassi and its rainforest habitat, which include forest destruction, agricultural encroachment, water pollution and firewood collection.\xa0 This information is inherently useful in the assessment of the extinction risk of L. yabassi and highlights the importance of implementing strategies for preserving primary rainforest and its associated aquatic habitats in Central Africa.