Louisea is a genus of freshwater crab

Freshwater crab

There are around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs, distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs which release thousands of planktonic larvae. This limits...

 in the family Potamonautidae

Potamonautidae

Potamonautidae is a family of freshwater crabs endemic to tropical parts of Africa and adjacent islands, including Madagascar, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba, Bioko, São Tomé, Príncipe and Sherbro Island. It comprises 18 extant genera and 138 extant species...

, containing two species, Louisea balssi and Louisea edeaensis. Both species are endemic to Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

 and listed as endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 on the IUCN Red List

IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...

.

L. edeaensis is known from only three specimens, which were collected in 1910 from two locations in Edéa

Edéa

Edéa is a city located in the Littoral Province, Cameroon by the Sanaga River and near the railroad line Douala-Yaoundé. It has a population of 122,300 . There are bauxite facilities, aluminium processing facility, steel processing facility, timber facilities, paper facilities and some water...

 and Yabassi

Yabassi

Yabassi is a town and commune in western Cameroon, and capital of the Nkam department. Its population in 2001 was estimated at 12,000. The main dialect spoken is the Bassa Yabassi. However, there are also other dialects originating in the Nkam which are spoken....

, while L. balssi is only known from four specimens collected in the Bamenda highlands, and has not been seen alive since 1909.