FIRST RECORD OF BRANCHINELLA SPINOSA (MILNE-EDWARDS) (CRUSTACEA: BRANCHIOPODA; ANOSTRACA) FROM GREECE

T. J. Abatzopoulos, L. Brendonck, P. Sorgeloos-1999
International Journal of Salt Lake Research, 8 (4): 351-360
Abstract:

As the result of a first screening of temporary inland water habitats, Branchinella spinosa is here recorded for the first time in Greece. This finding extends the circum-Mediterranean part of its vast distribution. The species was collected from a shallow astatic coastal salt-marsh that is mainly fed by rainwater, where it coexists but rarely co-occurs with Artemia parthenogenetica. Branchinella spinosa is only the fourth anostracan species currently known from Greece. The poor knowledge of anostracan richness and abundance is mainly due to limited sampling efforts in this area. As temporary aquatic habitats are threatened by several anthropogenic activities, especially agriculture and land clearing for urbanisation and tourism, there is an urgent necessity for further monitoring and protection of these previous habitats.
(Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, University of Ghent, Rozier 44, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium, e-mail: Patrick.Sorgeloos@rug.ac.be)

home