Berkanella, Taybi & Glöer & Mabrouki, 2024

Taybi, A. F., Glöer, P. & Mabrouki, Y., 2024, Description of Berkanella selouensis gen. et sp. n., a new subterranean snail from Morocco and redescription of Islamia tifertiensis Glöer, Mabrouki et Taybi, 2020 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae), Invertebrate Zoology 21 (2), pp. 147-156 : 149-150

Berkanella gen.n.

Figs 2–4.

TYPE SPECIES: Islamia tifertiensis Glöer et al., 2020 (see below) .

DIAGNOSIS: The new genus is characterised by the following characters: the minute valvatiform transparent shell (when fresh), the colourless body and atrophy of eye spots (adapted to a subterranean or stygobiotic mode of life), the penis has a knob at the left side near the basis, at the distal end tapered.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Berkanella gen.n. may be confused with the only three genera of stygobionts and valvatiformes known to occur in North Africa, namely: Rifia Ghamizi, 2020 , which has a bifurcated penis; the recently described Maroccohoratia Ghamizi et Falniowski, 2024 which has a proportionally minute penis, bent and triangular in shape, with a broad and slightly marked swelling distally on its right side, and finally Maroccoarganiella Ghamizi et Falniowski, 2024 which has a broad and straight penis flat and massive, with a broad and not prominent outgrowth distally on its right side. The “outgrowths” in the genera of Ghamizi et al. (2024) should be better named as “swelling”. Berkanella gen.n. is the only stygobiont and valvatiform hydrobiid having a penis with a knob at the left side near the basis and the tapered distal end. While the other stygobiont genera i.e. Heideella Backhuys et Boeters, 1974 ; Atebbania Ghamizi et al., 1999 and therecentlydescribed Mahrazia Mabrouki et al.,2022 have elongated conical shells.The penis morphology of Berkanella gen.n. is a unique characteristic for the stygobiont and valvatiform microsnails, not known among any other hydrobiid genera.This feature justifies the description of a new genus, as it is acknowl- edged that hydrobiid genera can be identified by the shell shape in combination with the penis morphology ( Radoman, 1983; Szarowska,2006; Glöer,2022).The other valvatiform genera of NorthAfrica are crenobi - ont gastropods living in surface waters, have eyespots and pigmented bodies. The new genus resembles the recently described crenobiont Ainiella Taybi, Glöer et Mabrouki 2022 . However, the latter has larger shells, pigmented bodies and the largest eyespots among the valvatiform hydrobiid microsnails of North Africa. Whilst Berkanella gen.n. is an obligate stygobiont.

DERIVATIO NOMINIS. The new genus was named after Berkane province, where it was first found the first time.

The new genus contains two species, one of them is described below as new for science.