Author/Editor		Turk-Prevorčnik, Simona; Blejec, Andrej
Title		Asellus aquaticus infernus, new subspecies (Isopoda: Asellota: Asselidae), from Romanian hypogean waters
Type		članek
Source		J Crustacean Biol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 18, št. 4
Publication year		1998
Volume		str. 763-77
Language		eng
Abstract		A new, troglomorphic subspecies of Asellus aquaticus, A. a. infernus, from Romania, is described and illustrated. The general architecture of the copulatory appendages, studied with SEM in Romaian and Slovenian hypogean and epigean populations, is compared and discussed. A difference in brood size was determined between Romanian hypogean and epigean populations. Extensive analysis of the data using multivariate discriminant function analysis (DFA) allowed the elucidation of racial differentiation patterns in A. aquaticus from Romania and Slovenia. The number of the initially measured morphometric characters was greatly reduced as the contribution of each character to each discriminant function was assessed. DFA divided the sample complex into distinct epigean-A. a. aquaticus, and hypogean forms-A. a. infernus (Romania) and A. a. cavernicolus (Slovenia). The ize of pleopod V and its area as well isometric (short distal rami) uropod represent the most important discriminant characters. Distinct separation of Romanian and Slovenian cave populatins, i.e., the low degree of convergent evolution toward troglomorphism, might be at least to some extent explained by a different of populations and by the considerable ecological differences between both habitats.
Descriptors		CRUSTACEA FRESH WATER ROMANIA