A shrimp out of place. New genus of Atyidae (Crustacea: Decapoda) in subterranean waters of southeastern Europe, with some remarks on Atyidae taxonomy

Publication date: Available online 7 September 2019Source: Zoologischer AnzeigerAuthor(s): Jure Jugovic, Valerija Zakšek, Matija Petković, Boris SketAbstractThe new troglobiotic shrimp Ficticaris serbica, gen. nov., sp. nov., Atyidae, was found in central part of the Balkan peninsula within a vast territory between the Dinaric Karst (on the western part of the Balkan Peninsula) and the Caucasus, a disjunct gap of Troglocaris distribution. No other epigean or hypogean decapod shrimps were known from the area. A combined morphological and molecular data were used for its description from its only locality in central Eastern Serbia (Vrelo Krupaja). This new cave shrimp species with a short unarmed rostrum has no eye or body pigmentation, and can be easily distinguished from any other atyid genera and species by a combination of unique morphological characters, among which (1) the concave posterior margin of the telson, (2) maxilliped I exopodite with no trace of a flagellum, (3) maxilliped III and (4) all pereopods without exopodites, are the most striking. The taxonomic status of the genus and species within the family Atyidae together with the taxonomical traits found to be unique in Ficticaris are discussed. Among these traits, a telson that has been neglected until now, has shown some taxonomically important characters.

Source: A Journal of Comparative Zoology - September 7, 2019 Category: Zoology Source Type: research