Branchinella Sayce 1902

Rogers, D. Christopher, 2006, A genus level revision of the Thamnocephalidae (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anostraca), Zootaxa 1260, pp. 1-25 : 16

Subgenus Branchinella Sayce 1902 (sensu stricto) subgen. nov.

Diagnosis ( Figures 1 G and H, 2). Eversible portion of penes dorsal­lateral surface with a single, longitudinal row of large, posteriorly directed spines. Eversible portion of penes with distal half to two–thirds with various arrangements of scattered or rows of small spines. Male frontal appendage present or absent, if present, form highly variable between species, trunk may be comprised of numerous “pseudosegments”. Resting eggs variable, usually with variously irregular polygons, never densely spinose (moderately spinose in B. longirostris )(Timms et al. 2004).

This subgenus is endemic to Australia, and there are currently thirty­one described species ( Geddes 1981; Timms 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005; Timms & Geddes 2003). Timms (2004) provides keys to most species, but this key should be used in concert with Timms (2005) for species described since the key was published.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Representative left penes of thamnocephalid genera and subgenera: A) Thamnocephalus platyurus, ventral view; B) Carinophallus ornata upper image (with penes retracted) left ventrolateral view of genital segments; lower image ventral view of everted pene; C) Dendrocephalus c ervicornis, ventral view; D) Dendrocephalus (Dendrocephalinus) acacioidea, ventral view; E) Phallocryptus sublettei, ventral view; F) Gurneya mirus, ventral view; G) Branchinella wellardi, ventral view; H) Branchinella budjiti, ventral view; I) Branchinella (Branchinellites) ondonoguae.