Caridina fernandoi Arudpragasam & Costa, 1962

Klotz, Werner, von Rintelen, Thomas & Christodoulou, Magdalini, 2019, Middle East Caridina (Decapoda: Atyidae): Redescription of C. fossarum Heller, 1862, description of three new species, and remarks on the status of C. syriaca Bouvier, 1904 and C. babaulti basrensis Al-Adhub & Hamzah, 1987, Zoologischer Anzeiger 283, pp. 161-185 : 171

Caridina fernandoi Arudpragasam & Costa, 1962

Caridina kempi Jalihal, Shenoy & Sankolli, 1984: 13 ; Figs. 6 – 8. [Hosayellapur tank (Hirekeri), Dharwar]

Caridina babaulti basrensis Al-Adhub & Hamzah, 1987: 225 ; Fig. 1 . [small channels connected to Shatt al-Arab River, Iraq]

Material examined. C. babaulti basrensis Al-Adhub & Hamzah, 1987 . Iraq: 12 ♂♂ cl 3.0 – 4.6 mm, 16 ♀♀ cl 2.7 – 6.0 mm, 4 juveniles cl 2.2 – 2.5 mm, Basrah, Shatt Al-Arab, Khur Trad Creek , leg. S.D. Salman, 19.12.2011, OUMNH 2012-01-0061 ; 4 ovig. ♀♀ cl 4.9 – 5.4 mm, 2 ♀♀ cl 5.1 mm, Shatt Al-Arab Region, Garmat Ali River (Khur-Traad Creek) , 30 ° 34.0 ' N 47 ° 45.1 ' E, leg. M. Al-Maliki, 01.01.2006, OUMNH 2011-01-0013 ; 1 ♂ cl 4.7 mm, 1 ♀ cl 5.4 mm, 4 ovig. ♀♀ cl 4.6 – 5.2 mm, Shatt Al-Arab Region, Garmat Ali River (Khur-Traad creek) , leg. M. Nasser 2006, OUMNH 2009-21-0005 ; 6 ♂♂ cl 3.4 – 4.5 mm, 1 ♀ cl 5.0 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 5.3 and 6.4 mm, Shatt-Al-Arab, Garmat Ali River (Khur-Traad Creek) , leg. M. Naser 01.01.2006, OUMNH 2012-02-0007 .

C. kempi Jalihal, Shenoy & Sankolli, 1984 . India: 1 ♂ cl 6.6 mm, 1 ♀ cl 4.8 mm Ajanta , leg. D. Seelaus, 01.2006, ZMB 30225 ; 7 Exuviae, Ajanta , leg. D. Seelaus, 01.2006, WK-TL, WK-PK, WK-PF .

C. fernandoi Arudpragasam & Costa, 1962 . Sri Lanka: 1 ♀ cl 3.7 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 5.0 mm, Western Province, Maha Oya near Giriulla , 7 ° 17.08 ' N 80 ° 3.69 ' E, leg. W. Klotz, 06.02.2017, ZMB 30168 ; 1 ♀ cl 3.1 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 5.0 mm, North Western Province, river near Barandana , 7 ° 30.0 ' N 80 ° 26.50 ' E, leg. W. Klotz, 06.02.2017, ZMB 30171 ; 1 ♀ cl 2.6 mm, North Central Province, Minneriya Wewa , 8 ° 3.91 ' N 80 ° 53.56 ' E, leg. W. Klotz 07.02.2017, ZMB 30174 ; 1 ♀ cl 3.9 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 5.0 mm, Samaragamuwa Province, Mawanella, Maha Oya , river with rocks, 7 ° 14.96 ' N 80 ° 0.26.63 ' E, leg. W. Klotz, 09.02.2017, ZMB 30181 ; 1 ♀ cl 2.9 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 4.5 mm, Central Province, Kandy Lake , 7 ° 17.28 ' N 80 ° 38.73 ' E, leg. W. Klotz, 10.02.2017, ZMB 30193 ; 1 specimen, Kandalama Lake , 7 ° 52.276 ' N 80 ° 42.354 ' E, leg. K. Quante, 12.2008, ZMB 30761 .

Comparative material examined

Caridina cf. babaulti . India: West Bengal, 2 specimens from aquarium population, ZMB 30757 .

Remarks. In the original description of C. babaulti basrensis ( Al-Adhub & Hamzah, 1987) the authors compared their material from small channels connected to Shatt al-Arab River, Iraq with C. babaulti described from India by Bouvier in 1918. They did not mention C. kempi , a species described three years before from Dharwar, India ( Jalihal et al. 1984). Both descriptions are rather detailed and a comparison suggests that these two species might be identical. Descriptions of larval development of both species ( Salman 1987; Jalihal et al. 2000) are very similar. Both species pass through six zoeal stages until metamorphosis to postlarvae. In addition, the morphology of each stage is matching. Thus, larval development supports the synonymy of these two species. For the present study topotypical material of C. babaulti basrensis as well as specimens of C. kempi from Western India were compared with specimens of C. fernandoi from several locations in Sri Lanka including one of the type localities of this species by morphological examination as well as mtDNA analysis (see below). Our results revealed that both C. babaulti basrensis and C. kempi must considered as junior synonyms of C. fernandoi . As C. fernandoi now is considered to have a much wider distribution, it should be compared to species described from other locations in South Asia as well. As the focus of this study was on species of Caridina collected from the Middle East with just a few related species from other areas included for comparison, further studies are necessary to clarify the taxonomy of this group. This also includes a revision of the syntype material of C. babaulti Bouvier, 1918 , as this material comprises more than one species (W. Klotz, personal observation).

Figures

Fig. 6. Caridina fossarum Heller,1862, female, OUMNH 2012-01-0063:A,third pereiopod;B,dactylus of third pereiopod; C,fourth pereiopod;D,dactylus of fourth pereiopod; E, fifth pereiopod; F, dactylus of fifth pereiopod. Male, OUMNH 2012-01-0063: G, first pleopod; H, second pleopod; I, appendix masculina and appendix interna. Scale bars indicates 1 mm (A, C, E, G, H) and 0.5 mm (B, D, F, I).

Fig. 1. A, Origin of sequenced specimens (for details see Table 1); B, Map showing the geographic distribution of Caridina species in the Middle East.