A new species of Cypris (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with comments on the first ostracod named using the Linnean system.

Francesc Mesquita-Joanes,Ferran Palero,Juan Rueda,Josep A Aguilar-Alberola

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4759.1.8

Francesc Mesquita-Joanes, Ferran Palero + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4759.1.8

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Abstract

The genus Cypris, considered the oldest ostracod generic name erected using the Linnean system, comprises a reduced number of large-bodied species, mostly found in Africa and Asia. Only six of them are known to occur in Europe. Here we describe a new species, Cypris pretusi sp. nov., collected in small temporary streams and ponds along the Eastern Iberian Peninsula and Minorca (Balearic Islands). The new species is very close to the type species of the genus, Cypris pubera O.F. Müller, 1776, but differs from it in having a set of smaller subequal spines on the posterior edge of the valves, by the absence of conspicuous spines along the front edge, and by the beak-like frontal shape of its carapace in dorsal view, similar to Cypris decaryi Gauthier, 1933. Soft parts are very similar to the type species, but it differs in having shorter swimming setae on the second antennae. Molecular analyses of the COX1 region support its status as a species distinct from C. pubera and closer to Cypris bispinosa Lucas, 1849, also providing evidence for a separation of C. pubera s.l. in two clades, one of which is here considered to correspond to Cypris triaculeata Daday, 1892. We discuss the relationships of C. pretusi sp. nov. to other members of the genus and its possible origin from nearby biogeographic regions (probably Africa or Asia) and provide a key to species of Cypris found in Europe. We also discuss the relationship between Monoculus concha pedata (= M. conchaceus), the first ostracod named by Linnæus, and Cypris pubera, the type species of the genus, described by Müller in 1776 and considered by him the same species as the one first named by Linnæus.

Highlights

The ostracod genus Cypris includes the largest species of freshwater Ostracoda typically found in Western Europe (Meisch 2000), biogeographies are changing fast, and some other large(r) exotic genera can be found in the area
Molecular analyses of the COX1 region support its status as a species distinct from C. pubera and closer to Cypris bispinosa Lucas, 1849, providing evidence for a separation of C. pubera s.l. in two clades, one of which is here considered to correspond to Cypris triaculeata Daday, 1892
We discuss the relationships of C. pretusi sp. nov. to other members of the genus and its possible origin from nearby biogeographic regions and provide a key to species of Cypris found in Europe

Summary

Introduction

The ostracod genus Cypris includes the largest species of freshwater Ostracoda typically found in Western Europe (Meisch 2000), biogeographies are changing fast, and some other large(r) exotic genera can be found in the area. Taking its big size into account, it is perhaps not surprising that the type species of this genus was arguably the first ostracod to be named using the Linnean system It was Linnæus (1748) himself who included the ostracod Monoculus concha pedata in the order of apteran insects in the 6th edition of his Systema Naturæ. Karanovic (2012) had considered that there are 24 known species in the genus and Martens et al (2013) had listed 21 species, but many of these were later discarded as dated or uncertain (Meisch et al 2019) or as junior synonyms of other species, as in the case of Cypris triaculeata Daday, 1892 (considered a synonym of C. pubera). A careful inspection of these specimens confirmed that in both cases they did not belong to either C. decaryi or any other described species of the genus Cypris, and we decided to describe the new species, as detailed below

Material and methods

Findings

Discussion