Scapholeberis smirnovi Garibian et al., 2020

Dadykin, Ivan A., Karimov, Gafur N., Sinev, Artem Y., Volkova, Polina A. & Kotov, Alexey A., 2024, Branchiopoda (Crustacea: Anostraca and Diplostraca) diversity in Tajik Pamir and plain West and South Tajikistan, Zootaxa 5497 (1), pp. 1-32 : 21

Scapholeberis smirnovi Garibian et al., 2020

The species was previously recorded from South Tajikistan as tropical Scapholeberis kingi Sars, 1888 ( Khaitov 1978, 2011). Parthenogenetic females of the two species are morphologically similar, but gamogenetic female of Scapholeberis smirnovi has laterally projecting longitudinal keels on the ephippium and more widely spaced eye and ocellus ( Garibian et al. 2020). In this study, S. smirnovi was found in several localities in Pamir (loc. 22, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 57). The species is widely distributed in South and East Palearctic ( Garibian et al. 2020; Korovchinsky & Kotov 2021). Ecological preferences of S. smirnovi yet have not been studied, but its sibling species, S. kingi , is known to tolerate salinity up to 6.2‰ ( Mahar et al. 2008). For a morphological description, see Garibian et al. (2020).