A CRUSTACEAN SPECIES PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TO WORLD SCIENCE IS DISCOVERED IN THE RESERVE "UTRISH"

A new species of crustaceans, previously unknown to world science, has been discovered on the territory of the Utrish Reserve in the Krasnodar Territory. The discovery was made by a group of scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. The crustacean is named after the reserve - Niphargus utrishensis Marin et Palatov sp.n.

In the reserve, freshwater invertebrates were examined in lakes, streams, wells and water outlets between rock layers in crevices and on the coast. Scientists have discovered about 12 species endemic to the Caucasus. To identify invertebrates, morphological comparisons were made, creating a DNA barcode.

According to the head of the expedition, candidate of biological sciences Ivan Marin, these animals inhabited their current habitats at least five million years ago - at the end of the Miocene.

“We believe that the current distribution of species is determined rather by the “growth” of the Caucasian coastal mountain ranges and the fragmentation of karst occurring over the past 2-3 million years. Due to the fact that these animals are not capable of active settlement, these unique ancient genetic lines (species) and their biotopes - underground aquatic habitats - need special protection,” Ivan Marin said.

Also, a new genus and new species of gammarid amphipod Dursogammarus dromaderus Marin & Palatov, 2022 (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) was found in the Durso River at the border of the reserve. The new species is now known to be endemic to the lower reaches of the small mountain river Durso, which flows into the northwestern Black Sea. Moreover, this crustacean represents a phylogenetic lineage related to the Atlanto-Mediterranean gammarids, which apparently survives in isolation in these coastal habitats for a very long time, which indicates the uniqueness of the biotopes of this river.