Cerberusa

{{Short description|Genus of crabs}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Blind Cave Crab (Cerberusa caeca) (15406597539) 2.jpg | image_caption = ''Cerberusa caeca'' from Lagang Cave, Mulu NP, Sarawak (Malaysia) | taxon = Cerberusa | authority = [[Lipke Holthuis|Holthuis]], 1979 }}

'''''Cerberusa''''' is a genus of blind [[troglobite]] [[freshwater crabs]], in the subfamily [[Potamiscinae]].<ref name="holthuis1979">{{cite journal |last1=Holthuis, L.B. |title=Cavernicolous And Terrestrial Decapod Crustacea From Northern Sarawak, Borneo |journal=Zoologische Verhandelingen |date=January 1979 |volume=171 |issue=1 |pages=1–47 |url=https://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/317598/ |access-date=7 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite taxon |WoRMS |title=''Cerberusa'' Holthuis, 1979 |id=439693 |access-date=2023-05-11}}</ref> It has been found in caves of [[Borneo]]. Crabs of the genus ''Cerberusa'' had been originally first collected in the [[Deer Cave]], [[Green Cave]], [[Clearwater cave]] and [[Wonder Cave (Sarawak)|Wonder Cave]] in [[Sarawak]].<ref name="holthuis1979" />

The species ''C. caeca'' has strongly reduced eyes, filling less than half the orbit; it was originally found only in completely dark sections of the caves. It is one of the few species of blind cave [[Potamidae|potamid]] crabs known, along with ''[[Diyutamon cereum]]'' and ''[[Phasmon typhlops]]''.<ref name="huang2020">{{cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Chao |last2=Ahyong |first2=Shane T. |author-link2=Shane T. Ahyong |last3=Shih |first3=Hsi-Te |date=2020-12-31 |title=The second known stygomorphic freshwater crab from China, ''Phasmon typhlops'' gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Potamidae), diverged at the beginning of the Late Miocene |journal=ZooKeys |issue=1008 |pages=1–15 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.1008.58854 |pmc=7790807 |pmid=33505185 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The original description<ref name="holthuis1979"/> cites that «These crabs move very little, except when the water of their pools is disturbed, or when a bright light is shone on them, they then scuttle away. Despite their blindness, they are light sensitive. When placed in an unfamiliar container, the chelae are used constantly to explore the objects and other crabs that they contact — much as hermit crabs do when they first contact an unfamiliar gastropod shell. The rearing up — chelae outstretched threat display typical of most crabs when threatened was never seen, though they attempted to nip a finger placed on the carapace.»

==Species== * ''[[Cerberusa caeca]]'' <small>Holthuis, 1979</small> * ''[[Cerberusa tipula]]'' <small>Holthuis, 1979</small>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Potamoidea]] [[Category:Freshwater crustaceans of Asia]] [[Category:Taxa named by Lipke Holthuis]] [[Category:Cave crustaceans]]