Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T13:09:22.939Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

First record of the harpacticoid genus Nitocrellopsis (Copepoda, Ameiridae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2010

Tomislav Karanovic*
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Private Bag 5, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia Hanyang University, Department of Life Sciences, Seoul 133-791, South Korea
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Three new freshwater ameirid species were discovered in the Western Australian subterranean habitats and described in this paper. They all proved to belong to the genus Nitocrellopsis Galassi, De Laurentiis & Dole-Olivier, 1999, representing the first record of this genus in Australia. Nitocrellopsis operculata sp. nov. was collected in 2003 in the Pilbara region, during the Pilbara Regional Survey, led by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). It can be distinguished from all other congeners by the reduced armature of the antennal exopod, which is an autapomorphic feature. Also, no other species of Nitocrellopsis has cuticular windows on prosomal or urosomal somites, or six elements on the third exopodal segment of the second leg. Nitocrellopsis halsei sp. nov. and N. pinderi sp. nov. are sister-species, collected in 2007 in the neighbouring Yilgarn region, by the private environmental consulting company Bennelongia Pty Ltd. Numerous morphological similarities include somite ornamentation, armature patterns of the swimming legs and the fifth leg, as well as the shape and armature of the antennula, antenna and almost all mouth appendages, while the main differences between the two are observed in the body size and habitus appearance, caudal rami shape and size, presence/absence of large lateral pores on the fourth pedigerous somite, number of spinules on the anal operculum, number of setae on the madibular endopod, and shape of the exopod of the fifth leg. Although they differ from any other congener by a combination of characters, no significant autapomorphic features were observed. In order to find a more natural allocation of these three species, a cladistic analysis is performed on all current members of Nitocrellopsis and three outgroup taxa, based on 45 morphological characters. The resulting cladogram shows that the ingroup is well defined by at least four synapomorphies, but the Australian species from the two regions are only remotely related to each other, showing the importance of looking at small-scale patterns when inferring Gondwanan biogeography. Three sister-species pairs are recognized in the genus and a key to all 12 members is provided.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chappuis, P.A., 1924. Descriptions préliminaires de Copépodes nouveaux de Serbie. Buletinul Societatii de Stiinte din Cluj, Romania , 2, 2745.Google Scholar
Chappuis, P.A., 1937. Weitere subterrane Harpacticiden aus Jugoslavien. Buletinul Societăţii de Ştiinţe din Cluj , 8, 503532.Google Scholar
Chappuis, P.A. and Rouch, R., 1959. Harpacticoides cavernicoles des Basses-Pyrénées. Annales de Spéléologie , 14, 197211.Google Scholar
Cho, J.-L., Humphreys, W.F. and Lee, S.-D., 2006a. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Atopobathynella Schminke, 1973 (Bathynellacea, Parabathynellidae): with the description of six new species from Western Australia. Invert. Syst. , 20, 941.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cho, J.-L., Park, J.-G. and Ranga Reddy, Y., 2006b. Brevisomabathynella gen. nov. with two new species from Western Australia (Bathynellacea, Syncarida): the first definitive evidence of predation in Parabathynellidae. Zootaxa , 1247, 2542.Google Scholar
Conroy-Dalton, S. and Huys, R., 1997. Towards a revision of Ameira Boeck, 1865 (Harpacticoida, Ameiridae): re-examination of the A. tenella-group and the establishment of Filexilia gen. n. and Glabrameira gen. n. Zool. Scr. , 25, 317339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conroy-Dalton, S. and Huys, R., 1998. Towards a revision of Ameira Boeck, 1865 (Harpacticoida, Ameiridae): reinstatement of Psammameira Noodt, 1952. Zool. Scr. , 27, 247261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, S.J.B., Saint, K.M., Taiti, S., Austin, A.D. and Humphreys, W.F., 2008. Subterranean archipelago: mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of stygobitic isopods (Oniscidea: Halniscus) from the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. Invert. Syst. , 22, 195203.Google Scholar
Cottarelli, V. and Forniz, O., 1993. Due nuove species di Nitocrellopsis Petkowski di acque freatiche delle isole di Kos e Tilos (Sporadi Meridionali) (Crustacea, Copepda, Harpacticoida). Fragmenta Entomologica, Roma , 24, 131145.Google Scholar
De Laurentiis, P., Pesce, G.L. and Humphreys, W.F., 1999. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, IV. Cyclopoids from basin and craton aquifers (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum , 19, 243257.Google Scholar
De Laurentiis, P., Pesce, G.L. and Humphreys, W.F., 2001. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, VI. Cyclopidae (Crustacea: Copepoda) from the Yilgarn Region and the Swan Coastal Plain. Records of the Western Australian Museum , Supplement , 64, 115131.Google Scholar
Dumont, H.J. and Decraemer, W., 1974. Nitocrella ioneli n. sp. (Crustacea: Copepoda), a new phreatic harpacticoid copepod from the Presahara in Morocco. Biologische Jahrbuche Dodonaea , 42, 105111.Google Scholar
Fiers, F. and Iliffe, T.M., 2000. Nitocrellopsis texana n. sp. from central TX (U.S.A.) and N. ahaggarensis n. sp. from the sentral Algerian Sahara (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Hydrobiologia , 418, 8197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finston, T.L., Johnson, M.S., Humphreys, W.F., Eberhard, S. and Halse, S., 2007. Cryptic speciation in two widespread amphipod genera reflects historical drainage patterns in an ancient landscape. Mol. Ecol. , 16, 355365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galassi, D.M., De Laurentiis, P. and Dole-Olivier, M.-J., 1999. Nitocrellopsis rouchi sp. n., a new ameirid harpacticoid from phreatic waters in France (Copepoda; Harpacticoida: Ameiridae). Hydrobiologia , 412, 177189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giribet, G. and Edgecombe, G.D., 2006. The importance of looking at small-scale patterns when inferring Gondwanan biogeography: a case study of the centipede Paralamyctes (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha, Henicopidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. , 89, 6578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goloboff, P., 1999. NONA (NO NAME) version 2, Tucumán, Argentina: Published by the author.
Guzik, M., Abrams, K.M., Cooper, S.J.B., Humphreys, W.F., Cho, J.-L. and Austin, A.D., 2008. Phylogeography of the ancient Parabathynellidae (Crustacea: Bathynellacea) from the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. Invert. Syst. , 22, 205216.Google Scholar
Humphreys, W.F., 2000. Background and glossary. In: Wilkens, H., Culver, D.C. and Humphreys, W.F. (eds.), Ecosystems of the World, 30, Subterranean Ecosystems, Elsevier, Amsterdam-Lausanne-New York-Oxford-Shannon-Singapore-Tokyo, 314.Google Scholar
Humphreys, W.F., 2001. Groundwater calcrete aquifers in the Australian arid zone: the context to an unfolding plethora of stygal biodiversity. Records of the Western Australian Museum , Supplement , 64, 6383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humphreys, W.F., 2006. Aquifers: the ultimate groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Aust. J. Bot. , 54, 115132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humphreys, W.F., 2008. Rising from Down Under: developments in subterranean biodiversity in Australia from a groundwater perspective. Invert. Syst. , 22, 85101.Google Scholar
Huys, R., 2009. Unresolved cases of type fixation, synonymy and homonymy in harpacticoid copepod nomenclature (Crustacea: Copepoda). Zootaxa , 2183, 199.Google Scholar
Huys, R. and Boxshall, G.A., 1991. Copepod Evolution, The Ray Society, London.Google ScholarPubMed
ICZN, 1999. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, Fourth edition, London.
Jaume, D. and Humphreys, W.F., 2001. A new genus of epacteriscid calanoid copepod from an anchialine sinkhole in northwestern Australia. J. Crust. Biol. , 21, 157169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaume, D., Boxshall, G.A. and Humphreys, W.F., 2001. New stygobiont copepods (Calanoida; Misophrioida) from Bundera sinkhole, an anchialine cenote on north-western Australia. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. , 133, 124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, I., 2007. Candoninae ostracods from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Crustaceana Monographs , 7, 1432.Google Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2003. First representative of the genus Allocyclops Kiefer, 1932 (Crustacea, Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from the Australian subterranean waters. Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim. , 39, 141149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2004a. Subterranean Copepoda from arid Western Australia. Crustaceana Monographs , 3, 1366.Google Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2004b. The genus Metacyclops Kiefer in Australia (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida), with description of two new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum , 22, 193212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2005. Two new subterranean Parastenocarididae (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum , 22, 353374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2006. Subterranean copepods (Crustacea, Copepoda) from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum , Supplement , 70, 1239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T., 2008. Marine interstitial Poecilostomatoida and Cyclopoida (Copepoda) of Australia. Crustaceana Monographs , 9, 1331.Google Scholar
Karanovic, T. and Eberhard, S.M., 2009. Second representative of the order Misophrioida (Crustacea, Copepoda) from Australia challenges the hypothesis of the Tethyan origin of some anchialine faunas. Zootaxa , 2059, 5168.Google Scholar
Karanovic, T. and Hancock, P., 2009. On the diagnostic characters of the genus Stygonitocrella (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), with descriptions of seven new species from Australian subterranean waters. Zootaxa , 2324, 185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T. and Pesce, G.L., 2002. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, VII. Nitokra humphreysi sp. nov. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida). Hydrobiologia , 470, 512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T. and Tang, D., 2009. A new species of the copepod genus Australoeucyclops (Crustacea: Copepoda: Eucyclopinae) from Western Australia shows the role of aridity in habitat shift and colonization of ground water. Records of the Western Australian Museum , 25, 247263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karanovic, T., Pesce, G.L. and Humphreys, W.F., 2001. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, V. Phyllopodopsyllus wellsi sp. nov. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida) with a key to world species. Records of the Western Australian Museum , 20, 333344.Google Scholar
Lang, K., 1965. Copepoda Harpacticoida from the Californian Pacific Coast. Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl. , 10, 1560.Google Scholar
Lee, W. and Huys, R., 2002. A new genus of groundwater Ameiridae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from boreholes in Western Australia and the artificial status of Stygonitocrella Petkovski, 1976. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, London (Zoology) , 68, 3950.Google Scholar
Leys, R. and Watts, C.H., 2008. Systematics and evolution of the Australian subterranean hydroporine diving beetles (Dytiscidae), with notes on Carabhydrus . Invert. Syst. , 22, 217225.Google Scholar
Leys, R., Watts, C.H.S., Cooper, S.J.B. and Humphreys, W.F., 2003. Evolution of subterranean diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporini, Bidessini) in the arid zone of Australia. Evolution , 57, 28192834.Google Scholar
Michailova-Neikova, M., 1964. Contribution to the study of fresh water harpacticoid fauna in Bulgaria. Annuaire de l'Université de Sofia, Faculté de Biologie , 58, 7585 [in Bulgarian with English summary].Google Scholar
Nicholls, A.G., 1945a. Marine Copepoda from Western Australia, 4. Psammophilous harpacticoids. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia , 29, 1724.Google Scholar
Nicholls, A.G., 1945b. Marine Copepoda from Western Australia, 5. A new species of Paramesochra, with an account of a new harpacticoid family, the Remaneidae, and its affinities. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia , 29, 91105.Google Scholar
Nixon, K.C., 2002. WinClada version 1.00.08, Ithaca, New York: Published by the author.Google Scholar
Pesce, G.L. and De Laurentiis, P., 1996. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, III. Diacyclops humphreysi n. sp. and comments on the Diacyclops crassicaudis complex (Copepoda, Cyclopidae). Crustaceana , 69, 524531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pesce, G.L., De Laurentiis, P. and Humphreys, W.F., 1996a. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, I. The genera Metacyclops, Mesocyclops, Microcyclops and Apocyclops (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum , 18, 6776.Google Scholar
Pesce, G.L., De Laurentiis, P. and Humphreys, W.F., 1996b. Copepods from ground waters of Western Australia, II. The genus Halicyclops (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum , 18, 7785.Google Scholar
Petkovski, T.K., 1976. Drei neue Nitocrella-Arten von Kuba, zugleich eine Revision des Genus Nitocrella Chappuis (s. restr.) (Crustacea, Copepoda, Ameiridae). Acta Musei Macedonici Scientiarum Naturalium , 15, 126.Google Scholar
Reid, J.W., Hunt, G.W. and Stanley, E.H., 2003. A new species of Stygonitocrella (Crustacea: Copepoda: Ameiridae), the first report of the genus in North America. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington , 116, 9961006.Google Scholar
Rouch, R., 1964. Note sur les Harpacticides, 1 – Une nouvelle Elaphoidella de l'Ariège; 2 – Description des males de Nitocrella gracilis et Nitocrella elegans . Annales de Spéléologie , 19, 525531.Google Scholar
Rouch, R., 1987. Copépodes Harpacticoïdes stygonies d'Algérie. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde , 57, 7186.Google Scholar
Stock, J.K. and von Vaupel Klein, J.C., 1996. Mounting media revisited: the suitability of Reyne's fluid for small crustaceans. Crustaceana , 69, 749798.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suárez-Morales, E. and Iliffe, T.M., 2005. A new Stygonitocrella Petkovski (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from a cave in Northern Mexico with comments on the taxonomy of the genus. Hydrobiologia , 544, 215228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, D. and Knott, B., 2009. Freshwater cyclopoids and harpacticoids (Crustacea: Copepoda) from the Gnangara Mound Region of Western Australia. Zootaxa , 2029, 170.Google Scholar
Tang, D., Barron, H. and Goater, S., 2008. A new genus and species of Ridgewayiidae (Copepoda: Calanoida) from subterranean waters of northwestern Australia. J. Crust. Biol. , 28, 551563.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watts, C.H. S and Humphreys, W.F., 2006. Twenty-six new Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) of the genera Limbodessus Guignot and Nirripirti Watts and Humphreys, from underground waters in Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia , 130, 123185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, J.B.J., 2007. An annotated checklist and keys to the species of Copepoda Harpacticoida. Zootaxa , 1568, 1872.Google Scholar
Weston, P.H. and Crisp, M.D., 1994. Cladistic biogeography of waraths (Proteaceae: Embothrieae) and their allies across the Pacific. Austral. Syst. Bot. , 7, 225249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, G.D.F., 2008. Gondwanan groundwater: subterranean connections of Australian phreatoicidean isopods to India and New Zealand. Invert. Syst. , 22, 301310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar