Gammarus latispinus, Piscart & Mabrouki & Taybi, 2025

Piscart, Christophe, Mabrouki, Youness & Taybi, Fouzi A., 2025, Description of two new species of freshwater Gammarus Fabricius, 1775 (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) from the Middle Atlas of Morocco, European Journal of Taxonomy 1026, pp. 123-146 : 128

Gammarus latispinus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 1–8, Tables 1–2

Diagnosis

A relatively large-sized species of the Gammarus with epimeral plate 2 with 1–3 spinules on the outer face in addition to spinules on the ventral margin. Pereopods 5–7 have no long setae on the anterior margin of the merus and carpus, a relatively short endopodite of uropod 3 that never exceeds 60% of the exopodite. Antenna 2 with setae as long as or longer than the diameter of the article, without calceoli

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ latispinus ’ refers to the presence of spinules on the lateral surface of epimeral plate 2, which is unique in North African freshwater Gammarus .

Type material

Holotype

MOROCCO • ♂ ( 19.8 mm); Bakrit waterfall; 33°02′59.7″ N, 5°16′21.2″ W; alt. 1645 m; 16 May 2021; pond at the foot of the waterfall, collected by handnet; MNHN-IU-2025-2611.

Paratypes

MOROCCO • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; MNHN-IU-2025-2612 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; MNHN-IU-2025-2613 .

Other material examined (used for molecular analysis)

MOROCCO • 5 incomplete specs ( ♂♂, ♂♂ or juvs); same data as for holotype; DNA extracts stored in the personal collection of Christophe Piscart, University of Rennes (France); CP564 to CP566, CP609 to CP610 .