Wittmann & Ariani 1999
Wittmann & Ariani 1999
WITTMANN, K. J. & A. P. ARIANI, 1999: How a mysid goes underground: examples from Diamysis and related genera (Crustacea: Mysidacea). Abstracts of the 14th International Symposium of Biospeleology. Croatian Biospeleological Society, Makarska, p. 75.
On both sides of the Atlantic closely related genera are known where the diverse species represent a broad spectrum from euthalassobious or euepigean forms to eustygophilous and stygobiont species. OId world representatives are the genera Diamysis (fresh- to metahaline waters; Euro-African: mainly Mediterranean and Black Sea) and Troglomysis (freshwater cave in Herzegovina, E-Mediterranean). New world representatives are Surinamysis (freshwaters, S-America), Parvimysis (fresh- to euhaline waters in Central and South America) and Antromysis (cave
waters and crab burrows in Caribbean and Mexico). Obvious adaptations to the underground aquatic habitats are different degrees of reduction of the eyes and of the static organs, where statolith diameters are smaller in hypogean compared with epigean forms. Parallel evolution may have occurred an eastern and western side of the Atlantic resulting in stygobiont forms (Troglomysis and Antromysis, respectively). Comparison of Diamysis populations living in brackish dolinas environments with those from brackish springs and coastal marine habitats of the same region suggests that adaptation to the subterranean life may have a crucial step in the colonization of a typical semi-hypogean environment such as dolinas. Substantially consistent pathways may have been followed by Antrornysis anophelinae living in crab burrows: this is dwelling in crevicular habitats, often in combination with symbiosis with benthic macroorganisms, as is especially known from Heteromysis and Heteromysoides species.
Mediterranean; euthalassobiousc species; euepigean species; statolith diameters; troglophilic species
Diamysis; Troglomysis; Surinamysis; Parvimysis; Antromysis; Antromysis anophelinae; Heteromysis; Heteromysoides