Gammarus loeffleri Zamanpoore, Grabowski, Poeckl & Schiemer, 2010

Zamanpoore, Mehrdad, Grabowski, Michal, Poeckl, Manfred & Schiemer, Friedrich, 2011, Taxonomic review of freshwater Gammarus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Iran, Zootaxa 3140, pp. 1-14 : 7

Gammarus loeffleri Zamanpoore, Grabowski, Poeckl & Schiemer, 2010

Gammarus loeffleri Zamanpoore, Grabowski, Poeckl & Schiemer, 2010: 31 –51, Figs. 7–10.

Locus typicus. Cheshme Golabi spring, Darab, Fars Province, (28°47'N, 54°22'E).

Material examined. Holotype, Cheshme Golabi spring, 23 km W of Darab, Fars Province (28˚47ʹ N, 54˚22ʹ E) ( ZMA, Amph. 206055), paratypes ( FAIC 111094). Additional specimens: Aab Do-man-nim spring, 12 km S of Kherame (28˚42ʹN, 54˚27ʹE) ( FAIC 111077); Aab Vohli spring, 22 km S of Kherame (29˚10ʹN, 53˚27ʹE) ( FAIC 111078); Atashkade spring, 13 km N of Firooz Abad (28˚53ʹN, 52˚32ʹE) ( FAIC 111213); Bahadoran river, 15 km W of Darab (28˚42ʹN, 54˚27ʹE) ( FAIC 111097); Bande Amir road, 41 km E of Shiraz (29˚33ʹN, 52˚58ʹE) ( FAIC 111272); Fasa river, 5 km N of Fasa (29˚01ʹN, 53˚38ʹE) ( FAIC 111102); Ghare Aghaj river, 53 km S of Shiraz (29˚11ʹN, 52˚38ʹE) ( FAIC 111236); Nowbandegan, 20 km SE of Fasa (28˚50ʹN, 53˚49ʹE) ( FAIC 111130); Oghlanghez spring, 30 km NW of Darab (28˚50ʹN, 54˚24ʹE) ( FAIC 111095); Pa-Naal spring, 10 km NW of Fasa (29˚07ʹN, 53˚37ʹE) ( FAIC 111103); Sarve Nokhodi, 105 km SE of Shiraz (29˚11ʹN, 53˚06ʹE) ( FAIC 111076); Tang Aab spring, 29 km N of Firooz Abad (29˚02ʹN, 52˚34ʹE) ( FAIC 111101).

Distribution. A wide area along west-east axis from SE of Shiraz to the far east end of Fars province is occupied by this species. No populations of this or any other Gammarus species can be found north- and southwards from that region due to presence of an arid desert in the north, and high salinities and temperatures of inland waters in the south ( Fig. 1 ).

Ecological notes. This species inhabits springs and occasionally first order small streams at altitudes from 1100 m to 1800 m asl (Mean = 1383 m, SD = 266), which are lower if compared to most other Zagros species. Water temperature in these places ranged from 12 to 24ºC (Mean = 20.3 ºC, SD = 2.8). Waters had also higher salinities – the electric conductivity measured from 180 to as much as 1000 μS/cm (Mean = 471 μS/cm, SD = 133).

Taxonomic remarks. The special shape of the basis of pereopod 7, having absolutely no protruding lobe on postero-distal corner ( Zamanpoore et al., 2010a, Fig. 9C), could be a good identification feature for G. loeffleri , but some variation of this character was observed – in a few populations the individuals possessed a small lobe in this position. Regarding this and the type of setation on antenna 2 and on pereopods, the species might be confused at first glance with G. crinicaudatus . However, in G. loeffleri , the length and number of setae, especially on pereopods (ibid., Figs. 9A–C) are much higher than in the latter species. Another species, close in both morphological and geographical terms is G. s h i r a z i n u s, although presence of two tiny spines on the ventral-distal corner of first peduncle of antenna 1 distinguishes it from G. loeffleri . Finally, G. loeffleri differs from G. komareki by having non-curled setae on antenna 2, presence of calceoli, highly setose pereopod 4 (ibid., Fig. 8D), and much longer setae on many appendages, including pereopods 5–7, uropod 3, telson, and posterior dorsal margin of urosomites (ibid., Figs. 9A– c, 9F, 7J, 9D).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of freshwater Gammarus species in Iran (grey regions indicate high mountainous areas).