A confirmed new record of the fiddler crab Cranuca inversa (Hoffmann, 1874) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) in South Africa

Abstract

he distribution of Cranuca inversa (Hoffmann, 1874) in the Western Indian Ocean is well-documented from the Red Sea to Mozambique. Its occurrence in South African estuaries, however, has long been questioned due to biogeographical uncertainty. Historical records dating back to the 19th century have been regarded as doubtful due to the ambiguity of the type locality (indicated as ‘Natal’), with both mid-20th century and recent (2014–2016, 2019 and 2023) surveys in northern KwaZulu-Natal failing to locate extant populations, leading to the species being considered as absent from the region. We report on a new record of the species in Durban, South Africa, establishing the southernmost verified contemporary record and discussing the implications for regional biogeography and potential range expansion.