Plate 053 · on the pebble bed of a clear stream IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Oval carapace with clear grooves.
- 2Pointed rostrum between the eyes.
- 3Large claws on the first pair of legs.
- 4Three pairs of walking legs visible; the fourth is tucked away.
- 5Folded abdomen with a tail fan.
Easily confused with Other NW Argentine AeglaAegla spp.Very similar; told apart by details of carapace and claws. 053 / 100 · INVERTEBRATES · AEGLIDAENOT EVALUATED Humahuaca Aeglid
Aegla humahuaca
Cangrejo de río · Freshwater Anomuran Crab
It looks like a crab, but it belongs to a family found only in the fresh waters of South America. It lives under stones in clean streams and comes out at night to forage. In Tucumán it has been recorded at El Siambón, Tafí del Valle and the Cochuna river, among other sites.
- Carapace
- c. 2.4 cm in males
- Altitude
- c. 1,000 – 3,400 m
- Range
- NW Argentina endemic
- Development
- direct, no larvae
- NW Argentina endemic
- Clean water
- Nocturnal
- Under stones
Altitude rangeMountain streams
Tucumán records (approx.) In Tucumán it is recorded from El Siambón and the Cochuna river up to Corralito, at 3,400 m. The lower limit is approximate.
FoodStream cleaner
- Aquatic larvaemayflies, caddisflies
- Fallen leavesplant debris on the bottom
- Animal remainscarrion
- Algaeon the stones
Aegla crabs are omnivores and help recycle organic matter in the stream.
BehaviourA life under stones
- Hidden by day. It shelters under stones and comes out to feed at night.
- Egg-carrying females. They carry the eggs under the abdomen, and juveniles hatch with no larval stage.
- Clean-water indicator. It needs cold, well-oxygenated water, so it vanishes with pollution.
Where to look in Tucumán- El Siambón
- Tafí del Valle (RP 307)
- PN Aconquija
- Río Cochuna