Aeglidae, commonly known as pancoras are a family of freshwater crustaceans of South America. They are the only fresh water anomurans except for the hermit crab Clibanarius fonticola of Vanuatu. They live between 20° S and 50° S, at altitudes between .
Description Pancoras resemble squat lobsters in that the abdomen is partly tucked under the thorax. The notable sexual dimorphism in the abdomen is related to the behaviour of carrying fertilised eggs on the pleopods. The carapace length of the largest species may approach , but most are considerably smaller.
The internal anatomy has been described for Aegla cholchol and generally resembles that of other anomurans, particularly galatheoid squat lobsters. The morphology of the antennal gland bladder differs from that in other anomurans in having a twisted tubular structure which was interpreted as an adaption to the freshwater lifestyle.
Classification Aeglidae is thought to have originated around 75 million years ago and originally inhabited marine environments. The animals began colonizing South America during the Oligocene. They started from the Pacific Coast, and as time went on, slowly spread across the entire continent.
Aegla, the only extant genus in the family, contains around 74 described extant species. Of the 63 species and subspecies described by 2008, two are found in lakes, four in caves, and the remaining 57 are found mainly in rivers. 42 species are found in Brazil, all restricted to the country's southern and southeastern regions (Rio Grande do Sul alone is home to 24). Other countries with species are Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. More than a third of the species are considered threatened, and in Brazil alone 26 species are officially recognized as threatened, including 8 critically endangered.ICMBio (Ministry of the Environment, Brazil): Portaria MMA nº 445, de 17 de dezembro de 2014 . Lista de Especies Ameaçadas - Saiba Mais. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
Phylogeny The placement of Aeglidae within Anomura can be shown in the 2026 cladogram found below.
List of species This list contains all the described species :
Aegla abtao Schmitt, 1942 Aegla affinis Schmitt, 1942 Aegla alacalufi Jara & López, 1981 Aegla araucaniensis Jara, 1980 Aegla bahamondei Jara, 1982 Aegla brevipalma Bond-Buckup & Santos in Santos et al., 2012 Aegla camargoi Buckup & Rossi, 1977 Aegla castro Schmitt, 1942 Aegla cavernicola Türkay, 1972 Aegla cholchol Jara & Palacios, 1999 Aegla concepcionensis Schmitt, 1942 Aegla denticulata Nicolet, 1849 Aegla expansa Jara, 1992 Aegla franca Schmitt, 1942 Aegla franciscana Buckup & Rossi, 1977 Aegla georginae Santos & Jara in Santos et al., 2013 Aegla grisella Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla hueicollensis Jara & Palacios, 1999 Aegla humahuaca Schmitt, 1942 Aegla inconspicua Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla inermis Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla intercalata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla intermedia Girard, 1855 Aegla itacolomiensis Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla jarai Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla jujuyana Schmitt, 1942 Aegla laevis (Latreille, 1818) Aegla lata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla leachi Bond-Buckup & Buckup in Santos et al., 2012 Aegla leptochela Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla leptodactyla Buckup & Rossi, 1977 Aegla ligulata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla longirostri Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla ludwigi Santos & Jara in Santos et al., 2013 Aegla manni Jara, 1980 Aegla marginata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla manuniflata Bond-Buckup & Santos in Santos et al., 2009 Aegla microphthalma Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla muelleri Bond-Buckup & Buckup in Bond-Buckup et al., 2010 Aegla neuquensis Schmitt, 1942 Aegla oblata Bond-Buckup & Santos in Santos et al., 2012 Aegla obstipa Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla occidentalis Jara, Pérez-Losada & Crandall, 2003 Aegla odebrechtii Müller, 1876 Aegla papudo Schmitt, 1942 Aegla parana Schmitt, 1942 Aegla parva Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla paulensis Schmitt, 1942 Aegla perobae Hebling & Rodrigues, 1977 Aegla pewenchae Jara, 1994 Aegla plana Buckup & Rossi, 1977 Aegla platensis Schmitt, 1942 Aegla pomerana Bond-Buckup & Buckup in Bond-Buckup et al., 2010 Aegla prado Schmitt, 1942 Aegla renana Bond-Buckup & Santos in Santos et al., 2010 Aegla ringueleti Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla riolimayana Schmitt, 1942 Aegla rossiana Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla rostrata Jara, 1977 Aegla saltensis Bond-Buckup & Jara in Bond-Buckup et al., 2010 Aegla sanlorenzo Schmitt, 1942 Aegla scamosa Ringuelet, 1948 Aegla schmitti Hobbs III, 1979 Aegla septentrionalis Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla serrana Buckup & Rossi, 1977 Aegla singularis Ringuelet, 1948 Aegla spectabilis Jara, 1986 Aegla spinipalma Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla spinosa Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 Aegla strinatii Türkay, 1972 Aegla talcahuano Schmitt, 1942 Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942 Aegla violacea Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994
Fossil taxa
Haumuriaegla Haumuriaegla glaessneri is a species known only from fossils of Haumurian age (Late Cretaceous) found near Cheviot, New Zealand. At the time of its discovery, Haumuriaegla was the only known fossil from the family and the only marine member.
Protaegla Protaegla miniscula was discovered in rocks of Albian age from the Tlayúa Formation, near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Mexico.
Behavior and life history
Diet Pancoras are omnivorous, preferring plant matter, but also eating adult insects, molluscs, fish and fly larvae.
Mating and reproduction Mating is preceded by a period of courtship, and does not coincide with moulting, as it does in many other decapods. The eggs of pancoras hatch as juveniles which closely resemble the adults. They are cared for by their parents and live at the bottom of the body of water.
Relationship with humans
In fly fishing
As pets
Conservation status
References
External links