Freshwater Crabs as Poor Zoogeographical Indicators: a Critique of Banarescu (1990)

Abstract

FRESHWATER CRABS AS POOR ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL INDICATORS: A CRITIQUE OF BANARESCU (1990) BY PETER K. L. NG Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 0511, Republic of Singapore and GILBERTO RODRIGUEZ Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Centro de Ecologia y Ciencias Ambi- entales, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela ABSTRACT A critique of Banarescu's (1990) ideas and hypotheses regarding the importance of freshwater crabs in zoogeography is presented. We contend that many of Banarescu's generalizations are too simplistic and do not agree with our observations and findings about freshwater crabs. The value of freshwater crabs in zoogeography is