Troglocaris (Troglocaris) anophthalmus subsp. sontica Jugovic, Jalžić, Prevorčnik & Sket, 2012, ssp. nov.
Creators: name: Jugovic, Jure
name: Jalžić, Branko
name: Prevorčnik, Simona
name: Sket, Boris
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Atyidae
Troglocaris
Troglocaris anophthalmus
Troglocaris (troglocaris) anophthalmus sontica

description: Troglocaris (Troglocaris) anophthalmus sontica ssp. nov.
Synonymy: Troglocaris (Troglocaris) – the Soča phylogroup Zakšek et al., 2009
Type locality: Slovenia, Vipava, cave Vipavska jama.
Type sample: Males: adult male (TA985, holotype), CL 7.4 mm, Vipavska jama, Vipava, Slovenia, 45°50'40.91" N, 13°57'52.55" E, 6th September 2009, collected by J. Jugovic and M. Kolesnikova, specimen preserved in 70 % ethanol. Other males from the type sample: adult male (TA983), CL 6.1 mm; adult male (TA984), CL 6.3 mm; adult male (TA986), CL 6.6 mm; adult male (TA987), CL 6.2 mm; adult male (TA988), CL 5.6 mm; same data as neotype. Females: 5 adult females, TA990 (CL 7.1 mm); TA991 (CL 6.1 mm); TA992 (CL 6.4 mm); TA993 (CL 6.1 mm); TA994 (CL 6.2 mm); same data as neotype.
Other specimens examined: 9 specimens collected from one other known locality of T. (T.) anophthalmus sontica (Figure 1, Appendix C5). Males, CL 5.0– 6.8 mm. Females, CL 5.9–7.0 mm. Molecular analysis only: 6 specimens from two additional localities (Figure 1, Appendix C5). Voucher numbers and GenBank identification numbers for COI gene are in Appendix C5.
Diagnosis: Subspecies of T. (T.) anophthalmus with completely reduced eye and body pigmentation. Rostrum length variable, rostrum always straight and narrow, with 7 or less ventral teeth. Antenna I article 3 length less than ½ of article 2 length. Antenna II scaphocerite’s distal point weak, usually its length less than 28 % of scaphocerite width. Pereopod III article 4 usually with four spiniform setae along inferior margin and at inferodistal angle, article 6 not or only weakly curved in adult males. Pereopod V exopodite absent. Uropod exopodite width usually less than 32 % of its length. Fully mature males without retinacular hooks on pleopod I endopodite appendix interna. Pleopod I endopodite inner margin with short spiniform setae. Medial margin of pleopod I endopodite with short spiniform setae.
Differential description of material examined: Males (average values ± SD and [min, max values] presented, Figure 5; see also Appendix B1): Small specimens, CL: 5.8 ± 0.5 mm [5.0, 6.8 mm]. Rostrum length and dentition variable, when rostrum longer than 45 % of CL, narrow and never curved upwards. Article 3 of antenna I short (a13a12), its length 39 ± 4 % [33, 46 %] of article 2 length. Antenna II scaphocerite narrow (a2s2s1), its width 34 ± 2 % [31, 38 %] of scaphocerite length; distal point of scaphocerite weak and short (a2s3s1), its length 7 ± 1 % [5, 10 %] of scaphocerite length. Pereopod I article 7 long (pr1da), its length 21 ± 2 % [19, 24 %] of pereopod I length; and pereopod III article 7 short (pr3da), its length only 9 ± 1 % [7, 12 %] of pereopod III length. Pereopod I article 6 long (pr1che), its length 26 ± 2 % [22, 29 %] of CL. Pereopod III article 3 long (pr3ia), its length 9 ± 1 % [8, 11 %] of pereopod III length. The comb on pereopod V article 7 with small number of setae (P5D): 36.8 ± 4.3 [32, 47]. Pereopod V article 7 short (p5dp), its length only 21 ± 2 % [17, 24 %] of pereopod V article 6 length. Uropod exopodite narrow (u21, u2cl), its width only 29 ± 2 % [27, 32 %] of uropod exopodite length, and 16 ± 1 % [14, 18 %] of CL. Telson long (te1s6), its length 97 ± 5 % [89, 103 %] of pleonite VI length. Adult males generally without a single retinacular hook on appendix interna of pleopod I endopodite. Number of setae on pleopod I endopodite inner margin small (PP1 ENS): 18.9 ± 2.8 [15, 24]. Females (average values ± SD and [min, max values], Figure 5; see also Appendix B2): Small specimens, CL: 6.5 ± 0.4 mm [5.9, 7.0 mm]. Rostrum length and dentition variable, when longer than 45 % of CL, narrow and never curved upwards. Article 3 of antenna I short (a13a12), its length only 38 ± 7 % [31, 50 %] of article 2 length. Antenna II scaphocerite narrow (a2s2s1, a2s2cl), its width 36 ± 2 % [30, 38 %] of scaphocerite length, and 17 ± 1 % [16, 19 %] of CL; distal point of scaphocerite weak and short (a2s3s1), its length only 8 ± 1 % [6, 9 %] of scaphocerite length. Distal articles of chelate pereopods long; length of article 7 of pereopod I (pr1da) 21 ± 1 % [20, 22 %] of pereopod I length, and length of article 7 of pereopod II (pr2da) 18 ± 1 % [17, 19 %] of pereopod II length. Pereopod II chelae long (pr2che), their length 24 ± 1 % [23, 26 %] of CL. Proximal articles of chelate pereopods long, length of pereopod I article 4 (pr1ma) 23 ± 1 % [22, 25 %] of pereopod I length, and length of pereopod II article 5 (pr2ccl) 26 ± 2 % [23, 28 %] of CL. Pereopod V article 7 short (p5dp), its length only 19 ± 2 % [16, 22 %] of pereopod V article 6. The comb on pereopod V article 7 with small number of setae (P5D): 35.9 ± 3.0 [31, 40]. Pleonites V–VI long in relation to CL (s56cl), its length 78 ± 3 % [71, 80 %], and short in relation to uropod exopodite length (u1s56), its length 64 ± 3 % [61, 71 %] of uropod exopodite length. Uropod exopodite narrow (u21, u2cl), its width only 31 ± 1 % [29, 33 %] of uropod exopodite length, and only 16 ± 1 % [14, 16 %] of CL. Pleopod II appendix interna short (pl2aicl), its length 10 ± 1 % [9, 12 %] of CL. Telson of medium length (te1cl, te1s56), its length 50 ± 3 % [47, 55 %] of CL, and 64 ± 3 % [62, 71 %] of pleonites V+VI length. Telson weakly narrowed distally (tes2tes1), its distal width 79 ± 7 % [69, 89 %] of proximal width. Males and females (see also Table 1): pereopod III article 3 with 4–5 spiniform setae along its inferior margin and at inferodistal angle in over 70 % of specimens, otherwise with 3 spiniform setae.
Etymology: Sontica is an adjective from Sontius (or Aesontius) which was the Roman name for the river Soča/Isonzo.
Distribution: despite the thorough examination of the area (Jugovic and Zakšek, 2008; Prevorčnik, Fišer, Zagmajster, Trontelj, 2009) the subspecies is known only from four localities (Figure 1, Appendix C5) in the Soča–Vipava rivers system, NW from T. (T.) planinensis. Both taxa seem to be sympatric in the Italian Carso/Kras.
description: Published as part of Jugovic, Jure, Jalžić, Branko, Prevorčnik, Simona & Sket, Boris, 2012, Cave shrimps Troglocaris s. str. (Dormitzer, 1853), taxonomic revision and description of new taxa after phylogenetic and morphometric studies, pp. 1-31 in Zootaxa 3421 on pages 12-13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.208815