Daphnia (Ctenodaphnia) hispanica sp. nov., a new daphnid (Cladocera) from Spain

Abstract

Daphnia (C .) hispanica n . sp . has thoracic limbs ofA`D. (C.) atkinsoni type' and is very similar to D . chevreuxi Richard, 1896 . With this species D . (C.) hispanica shares the presence of a soft accessory seta on the outer side of the trunk of the first thoracic limb, apparently unique among the genus Daphnia . Although other morphological characteristics are very similar in this two species, a detailed comparison reveals that they can easily be separated as different species . The most useful features in differentiating both species are : D . (C.) hispanica has a dorsal crest in the head, its rostrum is longer, its accesory seta of the first thoracic limb is more developed, the juveniles are not helmeted and its male postabdomen lacks individual denticles on the anal and preanal margin .The new species is, up to now, restricted to Spain and inhabits the temporary and low mineralized waters of the steppe regions .

A fossil-calibrated phylogenomic analysis of Daphnia and the Daphniidae

“…The present phylogenomic analysis does not contradict such larger divisions in Ctenodaphnia. The close relationship of the Iberian endemic D. hispanica to D. atkinsoni also corroborates the thoracic limb characters; indeed, D. hispanica, whose limbs are morphologically closely related to those of D. chevreuxi (not included here), harbors several morphological features only found in non-Daphnia genera, which suggests a relatively basal position in the subgenus (Glagolev and Alonso, 1990). The comparison of our phylogenomic analysis with the scarce available data on limb features suggests that limb morphologies may contain a powerful phylogenetic signal for the deeper systematics in Daphnia, as larger clades match general relationships suggested by the preliminary morphological data (e.g.…”

“…This species is part of a group of African endemic daphniids in need of revision (Van Damme et al, 2013). Preliminary data of limb morphologies in Ctenodaphnia suggest that the lineages D. atkinsoni, D. hispanica, D. dolicocephala and D. barbata have some similar features (limbs of "atkinsoni-type"), whereas the limbs of D. magna, D. similis, D. lumholtzi and D. carinata have different sets of morphological characters (Alonso, 1985;Glagolev and Alonso, 1990; and references therein). The present phylogenomic analysis does not contradict such larger divisions in Ctenodaphnia.…”

Revision of the genusBosminaBaird, 1845 (Cladocera: Bosminidae), based on evidence from male morphological characters and molecular phylogenies

“…Parthenogenetic females of the Bosmina clade ( Bosmina + Sinobosmina ) and the ‘ Eubosmina ’ clade ( Eubosmina + Lunobosmina + Liederobosmina ) seriously differ in the position of the lateral head pore only, whereas other characters are almost or exactly identical in the two clades, or, in contrast, are too variable within each clade to be regarded as a consistent character of generic rank. At the same time, females of different species from another dominant planktonic genus, Daphnia , frequently have a long list of morphological differences (Glagolev & Alonso, 1990; Ishida et al. , 2006).…”

“…Still, these studies often lacked broad geographical coverage, analysis of male morphological characters, and a detailed taxonomic treatment. In less controversial anomopod taxa, a detailed treatment of males and morphology (Glagolev & Alonso, 1990; Frey, 1991; Smirnov, 1992; Smirnov, 1996; Kotov, 1999, 2000), and integrated approaches with molecular characters (e.g. Ishida, Kotov & Taylor, 2006), helped to resolve longstanding taxonomic problems.…”

Daphnia (Cienodaphnia) menucoensis (Anomopoda; Daphniidae): a new species from athalassic saline waters in Argentina

“…In spite of the evident affinity of D . menucoensis with D. mediterranea, the former species exhibits only two of the four characters enumerated by Glagolev & Alonso (1990), distinctive of the`D . atkinsonsi' type .…”