List of marine crabs (Decapoda: Anomura and Brachyura) of shallow littoral of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

: Marine crustaceans constitute one of the best studied groups in the Cuban waters. However, the level of systematic knowledge about them differs among the ecoregions of the platform. This paper presents the systematic list of hermit, porcelain and brachyuran crabs of the coast of Santiago de Cuba, on the southeast platform of Cuba. The records of the species have been compiled between 2009 and 2013, in ten locations, which differ in the type of habitats. Additional material was examined in the collection of the Universidad de Oriente Museum Charles Ramsdem. Eighty-one species are represented (seven hermits, eight porcelains and sixty-six true crabs). Data on their local and global distribution, their habitat, and notes on their reproductive period and fishing use are also provided.


INTRODUCTION
Cuban crustaceans have been studied since the 19th century and are one of the best known marine invertebrate groups in the country (Varela et al. 2003).Despite this statement, there are significant differences in the level of knowledge of the same group in different regions of the Cuban platform.Especially in the east coast, like with most marine zoological groups in this region, little is known about its composition.The carcinology of the central and western region of the island is best known through studies of Martínez-Iglesias and Gómez (1986), Ortiz (2001) and Lalana et al. (2007).
The marine coastal area of Santiago de Cuba is very diverse and includes bays, beaches, estuaries, rocky shores, islets and reefs, as well as wetlands and grass (Gómez et al. 2001).The presence of a large terrace karst implies the existence of abrasive coasts with exposed beaches.The main activities throughout the coastal strip are fishing (commercial, recreational or subsistence) as well as tourism.Thereare also port activities and water sports in Santiago de Cuba Bay, the main geographical accident of this shoreline (Gómez et al. 2009;Diez et al. 2013).
The most current systematic list of decapods collected in Cuban waters was compiled by Lalana and Ortiz (2000), who also account the bibliography that place each species in the Cuban shelf.To date only two carcinological studies are known in Santiago de Cuba, the first refers to the portunids genus Callinectes Stimpson, 1860 (Gómez et al. 2009) and the second the distribution of porcellains crabs (Diez and Jover 2013).The current research aims to present a complete list of marine crabs in this region.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Material from numerous sampling locations collected between 2009 and 2013 in the coastal zone of Santiago de Cuba was analyzed.The sampling locations include Buey Cabón, Mar Verde, Santiago de Cuba Bay, Aguadores, Sardinero, Juticí, Siboney, Juraguá, Verraco and Baconao (Figure 1).In addition, material of the carcinogical collection of Universidad de Oriente Museum Charles Ramsdem de la Torre (MChR) was analyzed.
Direct and indirect sampling were conducted on different biotopes (e.g., supra and intertidal rocky, sandy, muddy, coral hillocks, angiosperms prairies, and mangroves) in the supralittoral zone were also sampled down to 3 m depth.Estuarine and semi-terrestrial species are included in the list because larval stages occur in the sea (Ortiz 2001).
The specific list of porcelain crabs presented here followed Diez and Jover (2013) with an update, and species of portunid crabs followed Gómez et al. (2009).All lists of species presented here followed specialized literature (e.g., Powers 1977;Williams 1984;Abele and Kim 1986;Juarrero and Ortiz 2003;Osawa and McLaughlin 2010).

LISTS OF SPECIES
Data on geographical distribution of species, habitat, food, reproductive period, and fishing use were added using criteria from literature (Rodríguez 1980;Gore 1982Gore , 1983;;Lira et al. 2001;Werding et al. 2003;Gómez et al. 2009) or field observations.Collected material was deposited in the MChR and Tomás Romay Museum, Santiago de Cuba.The systematic list of Brachyura followed Ng et al. (2008) and the family Mithracidae is actualized by Windsor and Felder (2014).The genus Portunus Weber, 1795 and Achelous de Haan, 1833 are actualized by Mantelatto et al. (2009).
Geographic distribution: From Florida to Lesser Antilles, and Venezuela, Cuba.
Geographic distribution: Cuba is the type locality.Western Atlantic, from Florida and Caribbean Sea to Brazil.Eastern Pacific, from Bahia Salinas in Costa Rica to Panama.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms (with detritus), mud and mangroves to 46 m deep.
Remarks: Ovigerous females were reported between the months of April and July.
Neopisosoma curacaoense(Schmitt, 1924) (Figure 2k) Geographic distribution: Lesser Antilles.In Cuba, the species is known only from Santiago de Cuba and Boca de Canasí on the northwest coast (Barro et al. 2013).

Genus Petrolisthes Stimpson, 1858
Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850) Examined material: Although Diez and Jover (2013) recognized that this species was no longer observed in the Socapa (Santiago de Cuba Bay), many specimens have been collected after the pier at Cayo Granma in the own bay.In addition four specimens deposited in the MChR (IC03).
Geographic distribution: West coast of Africa.Western Atlantic: Florida, Gulf of Mexico and from Antilles to Brazil, abundant along the coast of Cuba.Pacific: from Gulf of California to Peru.
Habitat: Sandy, muddy, rocky bottoms and mangroves, from the foreshore to 30 m deep.In the greatest depths, is common to find specimens associated with anemones.Stimpson, 1858 Geographic distribution: West coast of Africa.Western Atlantic: from Cuba to northern Brazil.To date the report of Diez and Jover (2013) forms the northern boundary of the distribution of the species and it is the first report in the Greater Antilles.

Petrolisthes marginatus
Habitat: Rocky bottoms, from the intertidal to 3 m depth.
Remarks: Ovigerous females are reported in the Americas region in the months of January and February and April to July.(Gray, 1831) Geographic distribution: Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Cuba and from the rest of the Antilles to Venezuela, and Panama.

Petrolisthes politus
Habitat: Rocky bottoms, from the intertidal to 1 m depth.
Remarks: Ovigerous females found during the month of May in Juticí, Santiago de Cuba (the same was reported by Diez and Jover (2013)).Benedict, 1901 Geographic distribution: Florida, Bahamas, Cuba and from Antilles to the northern coast of South America.

Petrolisthes quadratus
Habitat: Rocky and sandy bottoms in the intertidal and very shallow sublittoral.
Remarks: Ovigerous females registered by Diez and Jover (2013) to the months of April and May.

Petrolisthes tridentatus Stimpson, 1859
Geographic distribution: Western Atlantic: Bahamas, Cuba and from Antilles to the northern coast of South America (Venezuela).Eastern Pacific: from Nicaragua to Ecuador.
Habitat: Rocky and sandy bottoms in the intertidal and sublittoral to 1 m depth.
Remarks: Ovigerous females were found from February to June in the Atlantic region.Hepatus pudibundus (Herbst, 1785) (Figure 3a) Examined material: Many males and females from Santiago de Cuba Bay deposited in the MChR (IC29).
Geographic distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Africa.Western Atlantic: from Gulf of Mexico to Santa Catarina (Brazil), Great and Lesser Antilles, north and south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Muddy and sandy-muddy bottoms, shallow waters to 49 m.Commonly with anemones and cirripedies on the carapace.
Geographic distribution: From Massachusetts to Florida Keys, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas and Bermuda, along the coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Hard and sandy bottoms, from shallow waters to 73 m depth, rarely 229 m, river mouths and estuaries.
Geographic distribution: American Atlantic: Bermuda, Bahamas, Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, from St. Croix to Barbados Campeche Bank, from Panama to Venezuela, Netherlands Antilles, from Ceará to Bahia (Brazil), St. Helena Island, western Cuba.African Atlantic: from Senegal to Angola, South Africa.Red Sea.Persian Gulf: Reunion and Seychelles.Pacific: India and Maldives, the Philippines, Formosa, Japan, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Hawaii Islands.
Habitat: Hard, rocky and sandy bottoms, middens and reefs, from the tide line to 218 m depth.
Geographic distribution: From North Carolina to the Patagonia, Argentina, through The Antilles and Cuba.
Habitat: Mesolittoral pools and shallow coral reefs, under rocks and between sponges and macroalgae.
Remarks: Ovigerous females have been observed in Florida and the Greater Antilles from March to September, in Santiago have been observed in February.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, from North Carolina to Yucatán, Gulf of Mexico, Jamaica and Cuba (west and central south coast).
Habitat: Adult crabs burrow into the muddy bottoms, below the low tide line, reefs, under stones or in the coral reefs, shell deposits.Young specimens do not burrow, live in deep waters or mesolittoral, seagrass, under rocks.The species is well adapted to the range of salinity of estuaries and can survive from extremely low to greater than 35‰.It extends from shallow waters to 51 m depth.
Remarks: Species of high commercial value.The total catches recorded in the western Atlantic between 1984 and 1998 were 38,699 MT (an average production of 2,579 MT/year).Individuals caught with fishing gear (such as networks) or directly with hands, sold fresh.This species is considered Endangered by the IUCN.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Cuba and from the other Antilles to north coast of South America.
Habitat: Mesolittoral rocky shore to 20 m depth.3k) Examined material: Two males and three females collected in the intertidal rocky shore, along the coast except in the bay.
Geographic distribution: Western Atlantic: Florida and from the West Indies to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Cuba.Eastern Pacific: from Baja California to Valparaiso, Chile, and Galapagos Islands.
Habitat: Tide pools, rocky shores, sand and coral bottoms.Intertidal rocky shore with strong waves, associated with macroalgae community (e.g., Sargassum sp. and Turbinaria sp.), to 29 m depth.

Genus Epialtus H. Milne Edwards, 1834
Epialtus bituberculatus H. Milne Edwards, 1834 (Figure 3l) Examined material: Fifteen males and seventeen females collected in the intertidal rocky shore along the coast, except in inland waters of the bay.
Geographic distribution: Florida, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, from Venezuela to Brazil.Cuba, south of Peninsula de Guanahacabibes (Antonio, El Resguardo and El Holandés beaches).
Habitat: Tide pools, found in logs drilled by borers, Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Köning prairies.Epialtus bituberculatus is common in the intertidal rocky shore subjected to strong waves and associated to macroalgal community (Sargassum spp., Turbinaria spp., Valoniopsis pachinema (Martens) Børgesen)).In Cuba, this species was found to 20 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Bermuda, Florida, Yucatan, Greater Antilles to Venezuela and Brazil.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and corallines bottoms, shallow waters to 50 m depth.
Geographic distribution: From Massachusetts to Florida, north cost to Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Habitat: Sandy, muddy, rocky and corallines bottoms, associated with hydroids and sponges, shallow waters to 51 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, Antilles, north and south cost of Cuba, from Maranhão to Espírito Santo (Brazil).
Habitat: Rocky and corallines bottoms, shallow waters to 110 m depth.

Subfamily Tychinae Dana, 1851 Genus Tyche Bell, 1835
Tyche emarginata White, 1847 (Figure 3p) Examined material: A male and a female were found dead in Siboney after the Hurricane Sandy (October 2012).
Geographic distribution: North Carolina, Bahamas, Florida, from the West Indies to Cape St. Roque, Brazil, south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Rocky and shell bottoms, shallow waters to 36 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, Greater and from Lesser Antilles to Brazil, Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and coralline bottoms, on sponges, shallow waters to 53 m depth.
Genus Stenorhynchus Lamarck, 1818 Stenorhynchus seticornis (Herbst, 1788) (Figure 4b) Examined material: Six specimens collected along the coast.The adults are always found in pairs on the  sides and under large rocks.Deposited in the MChR: one male and one ovigerous female from El Níspero, Santiago de Cuba Bay (IC12) and three males and one female from this bay (IC34).
Geographic distribution: North Carolina, through the Antilles to Santa Catarina (Brazil), Bermuda.Well represented along the coast of Cuba.
Habitat: The species has been found on funds varied, rocky, coral fragments, sand and shells, both beaches and estuarine areas, from shallow waters to a maximum depth of 1,489 m.
Geographic distribution: From Antilles to the northern coast of South America, in Cuba is recorded from the central north coast to the southwest.
Habitat: Rocky and coral bottoms, from shallow waters to 33 m depth.
Damithtax spinosissimus (Lamarck, 1818) (Figure 4d) Examined material: Two specimens collected in Aguadores and Baconao.According to local fishermens, this species is well represented along all the coast of Santiago de Cuba.
Geographic distribution: North Carolina and from Florida to Nicaragua, from Antilles to Barbados, north and south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and coral bottoms, the species can be covered by barnacles, bryozoans, serpulid worms, and foraminifera, shallow waters to 179 m depth.
Remarks: This species is of interest to local fisheries, but not commercial, because of its large size reached.
Geographic distribution: From Antilles to Venezuela and Brazil, north and south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Coral reefs, tidal pools, sandy bottoms with macroalgae and angiosperms, mesolittoral to 22 m depth.
Macrocoeloma trispinosum (Latreille, 1825) (Figure 4g) Examined material: A specimen found died in Siboney after the Hurricane Sandy (October 2012).Geographic distribution: From Beaufort North Carolina to Florida, Yucatan and from West Indies to Bahia (Brazil), west and north coast of Cuba.
Habitat: The species was found floating together with masses of Sargassum in oceanic waters, dredged in deep reefs, on mangrove roots, and in a variety of sandyrocky bottoms.Usually found covered in sponges.From shallow waters to 82 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, the Antilles, and Cuba.
Habitat: Rocky and corallines bottoms, shallow waters to 20 m depth.
Mithraculus coryphe (Herbst, 1801) (Figure 4i) Examined material: Seven specimens collected along the coast, except in the interior of the bay.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, from the West Indies to São Paulo (Brazil), north and south coast of Cuba, from Panama to Colombia.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, from the West Indies to Bahia (Brazil), north and south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms and reefs, to 20 m depth.
Geographic distribution: South Carolina, Florida, Bahamas, from West Indies to Rocks and Fernando de Noronha (Brazil), north and south coast of Cuba; Campeche Bank.
Habitat: Rocky and reef bottoms, hide in the holes of the rocks and corals, juveniles are commonly found on the intertidal rocky shore under rocks.The species is nocturnal and occurs in shallow waters to 20 m depth.
Remarks: Berried females were found in Santiago de Cuba in the months of March and April.The largest specimens are subject of subsistence fishing, but this activity is not representative.

Genus Omalacantha Streets, 1871
Omalacantha bicornuta (Latreille, 1825) (Figures 5c  and 5d) Examined material: Numerous specimens collected along the coast, including the input channel of the bay.Also, were found individuals of M. bicornutus in the Baconao Lagoon, and this is an evidence of faunal exchange of this lagoon system with the sea.Two young males from Cayo Damas, Chivirico, are deposited in the MChr (IC52).
Geographic distribution: Beaufort, North Carolina, Gulf of Mexico, and from Antilles to Florianópolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil), Bermuda, abundant along the coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Common in coral reefs, rocky, sandy, and meadows of angiosperms and macroalgae, in mangrove roots, mesolittoral to 30 m depth.Many specimens are fully covered with macroalgae.
Remarks: Ovigerous females were collected in February.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, Florida, Antilles, north and south coast of Cuba, Colombia, Curaçao.

Pitho mirabilis
Geographic distribution: Bahamas and Florida Keys, from arc of the Antilles to Guadeloupe, southern coast of Cuba, Curaçao and Venezuela.
Habitat: Rocky and coral bottoms, shallow waters to 20 m depth.
Geographic distribution: From North Carolina to west Florida, Veracruz, Mexico, from Antilles to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), north and south coast of Cuba.
Remarks: Williams (1965) reported ovigerous females from Bahamas and Florida in May to November and from Brazil in December.The ovigerous females from Cayo Damas were collected in November.
Geographic distribution: Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, Greater Antilles, Guadeloupe and Curaçao.
Habitat: Rocky and corallines bottoms, reef corals, in shallow waters.
Remarks: Sometimes the observation of this species is difficult on rocky bottoms due its similar coloration with red encrusting protozoans.5k) Examined material: Three specimens from Santiago de Cuba Bay.
Geographic distribution: From North Carolina to Florida, south cost of Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, muddy, rocky, corallines and shells bottoms, marine prairies, on sponges, from the tide line to 146 m depth.
Remarks: Ovigerous females were reported from Florida from March to August and North Carolina in February.Stimpson, 1871 (Figures 5l and 5m) Examined material: Three specimens from Santiago de Cuba Bay.

Pilumnus lacteus
Geographic distribution: Cuba is the type locality.From North Carolina to Florida.
Habitat: Sandy, shells, rocky, coral and muddy bottoms, over sponges and macroalgae, under rocks, in prairies, from the tide line to 32 m depth.Rathbun, 1898 (Figure 5n) Examined material: Two specimens collected in Siboney after the Hurricane Sandy (October 2012).
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, from North Carolina to Florida, Yucatán and Campeche Gulf, Lesser Antilles, Bermuda, north and south cost of Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and corallines bottoms, angiosperm prairies, from shallow waters to 93 m depth.
Remarks: Rathbun (1930) reported ovigerous females to Florida between June and August, and Williams (1965) to Campeche in the same period.The ovigerous females from Cayo Damas were collected in November.
Habitat: Shallow water, rarely more than 15 m depth, usually at depths of 5 m or less and often in intertidal pools, on muddy and sandy with algae and marine angiosperms, also sandy-rocky beaches and mangroves.Gómez et al. (2009) founded this specie in salinities above 19 ups.
Remarks: This species is reported from Santiago de Cuba as Callinectes larvatus Ordway, 1863 by Gómez et al. (2009) but this is a junior synonym (Ng et al. 2008).There are no separate statistics on catch volumes in the Caribbean (Tavares 2002).Contreras, 1930 Geographic distribution: East coast of Mexico, from Rio Grande to Veracruz.The species was cited to Santiago de Cuba by Gómez et al. (2009).
Remarks: Probably, this species is part of local fisheries.This species is confused with others more abundant of the same genus.Rathbun, 1896 Geographic distribution: Western Atlantic, throughout coast from Nova Scotia to Argentina, including Florida, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Antilles, and Cuba.East Atlantic, Denmark, Netherlands, North Sea, southeast of France, Gulf of Genova.Adriatic Sea.Aegean Sea.Western of Black Sea.Eastern Mediterranean.Pacific, Japan.

Callinectes sapidus
Habitat: Sandy and rocky bottoms, angiosperms prairies, mangrove.At the mouth of rivers, estuaries and shallow ocean waters, shallow waters to 90 m depth, most abundant until 35 m.The egg-laying and hatching occur at the mouths of rivers; larval development is oceanic, followed by migration of juveniles to estuaries to molt and mature as adults.It is likely that all species of the genus have a similar development on this species (Williams 1984).
This species is tolerant to extreme salinities, from fresh to hypersaline water between 44 and 48 ‰.The maximum record of salinity where the species had been found was 117 ‰ in Laguna Madre de Tamaulipas (Mexico).Callinectes sapidus tolerates temperatures from 3°C to 35°C and oxygen concentrations as low as 8 mgL -1 .
Remarks: This species has great commercial interest.Traditionally the largest catches are made in the Chesapeake Bay.In the Caribbean from 1984 to 1998, were captured 750,449 MT (an average of 50,029 MT/ year).Specimens of C. sapidus can be caught with trawls, traps and/or hand nets, and are marketed fresh (Tavares 2002).The period of greatest interest to capture this species is when the body is soft, increasing their commercial value.In Santiago de Cuba, the species is subject of subsistence and commercial fisheries.Callinectes sapidus is also widely used in the preparation of dishes from the seafood restaurant (cocktails, tea crab, and paellas).Williams, 1966 Geographic distribution: From Delaware Bay to Key West, Florida to Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan and Campeche, from Cuba and Jamaica to Santa Catarina (Brazil), Colombia.

Callinectes similis
Habitat: Distributed in sandy or muddy shores, rarely in estuarine waters, in salinities of 24.9 to 37.4 ‰ and temperatures of 13.2-29.0°C;shallow waters to 92 m depth, rarely to 379 m.This species is associated with C. sapidus.
Remarks: Callinectes similis is considered a potential resource for human consumption in the Gulf of Mexico where is great interest to fisheries.There are no separate statistics on volumes of catches of the species.Specimens of this species are caught with trawls and traps.Usually catches separated due to their small size or marketed fresh (Tavares 2002).In Santiago de Cuba is also consumed to be caught with their peers.

Genus Portunus Weber, 1795
Portunus sayi Gibbes, 1850 (Figure 6c) Geographic distribution: Western Atlantic: from Nova Scotia through the Gulf of Mexico and the Antilles to Brazil.Eastern Atlantic: Canary Islands and Morocco.
Habitat: This species is normally pelagic, living among Sargassum masses, occasionally in littoral areas and marine prairies.
Remarks: Ovigerous females are reported from February to September.Examined material: Eight specimens collected in Santiago de Cuba Bay, Siboney and Juraguá, one female from Cayo Damas, Chivirico, deposited in the MChR (IC64).
Geographic distribution: South Carolina, The Antilles and Cuba, from Gulf of Mexico to Santa Catarina (Brazil).
Habitat: Rocky and sandy shore, in oyster beds, under rocks and between sponges and bryozoans, intertidal to shallow waters.
Remarks: Williams (1965) reported ovigerous females from the Greater Antilles between April and November and from Brazil between August and November.Ovigerous females were recorded in Santiago de Cuba in January.
Geographic distribution: Florida, Cuba and from The Antilles to São Paulo (Brazil).

Panopeus herbstii
Geographic distribution: Bermuda, Bahamas, from Massachusetts to Florida and Veracruz, Mexico, north and south coast of Cuba, from The Antilles to Brazil and Uruguay, Caribbean coast of Panama to Venezuela.
Habitat: Sandy-rocky, shells and muddy bottoms of bays and estuaries, in oyster beds, mangroves and coral reefs, mesolittoral to 22 m depth.
Panopeus occidentalis Saussure, 1857 (Figure 6m) Examined material: Two specimens collected in Juraguá and one male in Santiago de Cuba Bay.
Geographic distribution: From North Carolina and Florida to Santa Catarina (Brazil), through The Antilles, north and south coast of Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and shells funds, mangroves, in sponges, macroalgae and ascidians, mesolittoral to 18 m depth.Geographic distribution: Florida and from The Antilles to Fernando de Noronha (Brazil), western coasts of Cuba.
Habitat: Rocky, sandy, shell, coral, mud and meadows funds, from shallow waters to 50 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Bermuda, Bahamas and Florida, From The Antilles to Trinidad and Curaçao,   7d and 7e) Examined material: One male and a female collected in Santiago de Cuba Bay.
Geographic distribution: Cuba is the type locality.From Florida to South America.
Habitat: Rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms, marine praries and coral reef, shallow wathers to 154 m depth.
Geographic distribution: From Florida to Sao Paulo (Brazil), The Antilles, western coasts of Cuba.
Habitat: Sandy, rocky and reef bottoms, on sponges, associated with Sargassum, muddy areas and meadows of macroalgae and angiosperms, in mesolittoral pools to 50 m depth.
Geographic distribution: Florida, Cuba and from the other Antilles to Fernando de Noronha, (Brazil), Bermuda.
Habitat: Mesolittoral, in tide pools and under rocks, shallow waters.
Geographic distribution: Bahamas, from southwest coast of Cuba to Curazao, Venezuela.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms to 20 m depth.7k and 7l) Examined material: Two males and one female collected in Juraguá, one male from Sardinero deposited in the MChR (IC06).
Geographic distribution: Bermuda, Bahamas, Florida, Louisiana and South Texas, from Mexico to Colombia, the entire coastline of Cuba and The Antilles, from Colombia to São Paulo (Brazil).
Habitat: This species is almost completely terrestrial and lives in large concentrations in caves to 1.5 m deep, along channels and among stones, common in mangrove areas.The caves can be up to 8 km from the sea but always near water bodies.Despite its terrestrial habitat, specimens of C. guanhumi need gills wet occasionally, but they can survive long periods of immersion and easily adapt to large variations in salinity.Its spawning occurs at sea.
Feeding: Feed on a wide variety of plants, occasionally carrion and there have been reports of cannibalism.
Remarks: The species has local fishing interest, mostly in the spring months where they begin to leave the rest after rains for feeding and spawning.

Genus Gecarcinus Leach, 1814
Gecarcinus ruricola (Linnaeus, 1758) (Figures 7m-7p) Examined material: Three males and two females collected along the coast, one female from not specified site in Santiago de Cuba, deposited in the MChR (IC26) Geographic distribution: Bahamas, southern Florida, north and south coasts of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Cayman Islands, Barbados and Curaçao.
Habitat: The adult state of this species occurs in land, meso and supralittoral sandy, muddy, between the cracks and karst holes, under rocks and logs, wooded areas, mountainous areas reaches 500 m altitude.
Remarks: Between March and April, the species migrate from the forest areas where they refugee and feed, sometimes many kilometers inland, to the beaches to spawn.During this migration, thousands of specimens die crushed on the roads.until further into the vegetation below and shares the habitat with other crabs (Cardiosoma Latreille, 1825, Uca Leach, 1814, Goniopsis De Haan, 1833).
Remarks: Ucides cordatus and Callinectes bocourti A. Milne Edwards, 1879 are the most important crabs in the fishery of Suriname, and U. cordatus is caught intensively in Guyana.The species is traditionally caught by hand in their burrows.They are sold fresh or processed.There are no statistics on the volume of catches (Tavares 2002).

DISCUSSION
The most recent samplings have allowed to add a kind of porcellain, Megalobranchium poeyi, to list the group in the study area (Diez and Jover 2013), which highlights the importance of Cuba's southeast coast (42% of the species recorded for Cuban waters) as part of the corridor of the Caribbean and West Indies.Hermit crabs continue as one of the least studied groups, with only seven species of the 37 recorded for Cuba.They are widely distributed from Florida to the entire Caribbean Sea.In future studies, with the exploration of biotopes at greater depths, the number of known species of hermit crabs may increase.Lalana and Ortiz (2000) compiled 313 species and subspecies of brachyuran from Cuban waters; 309 of these were considered valid and four subspecies are not correctly defined.Following this review, we added another species to this list (Lalana et al. 2007) and Gómez et al. (2009) validated the presence of three other species of portunids collected in Santiago de Cuba (Callinectes larvatus, C. rathbunae and C. similis).According to the published literature, there are 313 species of true crabs in Cuba.With this necessary clarification, was determined that the 66 species (in 20 families) of brachyuran registered in Santiago de Cuba represent 21% of those contained in the Cuban shelf.This representation is more significant if we consider that many of the recorded species in Cuba have been collected only in deep water.
All sampled species are well represented in the West Indies and Caribbean Sea, and many from Florida to Brazil or to the Gulf of Mexico (Powers 1977;Williams 1984;Abele and Kim 1988).Until now, a large part of the marine fauna of the eastern coast of Cuba remains to be inventoried (Diez andJover 2012, 2013).It shows the great significance of local systematic studies, which update the lists of species and their biogeography.
Diez and Jover | Marine crabs of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Diez and Jover | Marine crabs of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Diez and Jover | Marine crabs of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba