Abstract
From a biodiversity survey of a subterranean habitat near Sinan County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, a new atyid shrimp of the genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837, C. sinanensissp. nov. was discovered. The new species can be separated from other congeners based on a combination of characters including depigmentation in body and reduction of eyes, small pigment spot at the centre of the cornea, the shape of rostrum and the endopod of the 1st male pleopod, and the relatively longer appendix interna on the appendix masculina of the 2nd pleopod. Mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA gene sequences also support the establishment of the new species. Information on the habitat, and the levels of threat are discussed to guide the conservation of C. sinanensissp. nov.
Highlights
China’s karst landforms, accounting for about a third of the territory, are one of the largest and most spectacular karst sceneries in world (Shui et al 2015)
In 2007, the China Southern Karst Region was established as a Natural World Heritage site by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during the 31st World Heritage Conference held in Christchurch, New Zealand (Hou and Sun 2011)
Abundance, life history, and ecology of atyid shrimp is inadequate, while the study of the cave-dwelling fauna remains in its initial stages
Summary
China’s karst landforms, accounting for about a third of the territory, are one of the largest and most spectacular karst sceneries in world (Shui et al 2015). Subterranean species are astonishing and bizarre outcomes of evolution over eons, either through regression or vicariance under natural selection; they have evolved to fully adapt to aquatic subterranean habitats, and they tend to exhibit conspicuous morphological adaptations and localized endemism (Culver et al 2008). They are typically colorless, with reduced eyes, long antennae and ambulatory appendages (Mejía-Ortíz et al 2006). Milne Edwards, 1837, Mancicaris Liang, Guo & Tang, 1999, Neocaridina Kubo, 1938, and Typhlocaridina Liang & Yan, 1981 The majority of these species belong to the genus Caridina. The epigean species, Neocaridina palmata, Macrobrachium nipponense and M. superbum are capable of surviving and reproducing in the caves
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