Hydrobiologia 298: 287-293, 1995.
D. Belk, H. 1. Dumont & G. Maier (eds), Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture I/.
©1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
287
Anostraca of the Indian Subcontinent
Denton Belk 1 & Cristine E. Esparza 2
1 Biology Department, Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78207-4666, USA;
2Department of Biology, University of San Diego, Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
Key words: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, species richness, taxonomy, zoogeography
Abstract
There are 15 species of Anostraca belonging to 6 genera on the Indian Subcontinent. These are: Artemia sp. (reportedly a bisexual form of undetermined species); Artemia parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978; Branchinecta
orientalis Sars, 1901; Branchinella hardingi (Qadri & Baqai, 1956); Branchinella kugenumaensis (Ishikawa, 1895);
Branchinella ornata Daday, 1910; Branchipodopsis acanthopenes (Malhotra & Duda, 1970); Branchipodopsis
affinis Sars, 1901; Branchipus schaefferi Fischer, 1834; Chirocephalus priscus (Daday, 1910); Streptocephalus
dichotomus Baird, 1860; Streptocephalus echinus Bond, 1934; Streptocephalus longimanus Bond, 1934; Streptocephalus simplex Gurney, 1906; Streptocephalus spinifer Gurney, 1906.
Comparing numbers of species for southern India with other reasonably well studied areas, demonstrated that
anostracan species richness is higher in the climatically more varied temperate regions than it is in the more uniform
tropics. Tropical South India has six species compared to 13 in Arizona (USA), 19 in California (USA), 10 in
Morocco, and 14 in Italy.
Introduction
The only review treating the anostracan fauna of the
Indian Subcontinent, Bond (1934), is now 60 years
old. In his paper, Bond reported eight taxa excluding
records for parts of Tibet now incorporated into China
and outside the subcontinent proper. Three of these
he described as subspecies of Streptocephalus simplex
Gurney, 1906. Brtek (1974) suggested, in a footnote,
that two of these subspecies are probably independent
species. We find the third to be a synonym of S. simplex.
Bond did not note the occurrence of Streptocephalus
spinifer Gurney, 1906 described from the island of Sri
Lanka (Ceylon at the time).
Since Bond's publication, reports place two species
of Branchinella described before 1934 on the subcontinent. Additional reports give localities for Artemia
parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978 and suggest the presence of a bisexual Artemia species. Linder
(1941), working with specimens collected near Madras
and deposited in the British Museum (Natural History), reported Branchinella kugenumaensis (Ishikawa,
1894). Raj (1951), unaware of Linder's report, pubIi shed a 'first record' of this species and described the
Indian popUlation as a new subspecies, B. k. madurai. We present evidence this subspecies designation
is not valid. Baid (1968) reported Branchinella ornata
Daday, 1910 from Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, India.
Kulkarni (1953) reported finding the first examples
on the subcontinent of an Artemia sp. at Vadala near
Bombay, India. He detailed the population as being
98% females. Baid (1958) reported Artemia, misidentified as A. salina, from Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan,
India. The several hundred specimens from this lake
at the Indian Museum seem to all be females. Royan
et at. (1970) found Artemia at Veppalodai near Tuticorin Tamil Nadu, India and also misidentified them as
A. salina. Achari (1971) discussed Artemia on Karsewar Island, Gulf of Mannar also misidentifying them
as A. salina. Clark & Bowen (1976) reported populations of Artemia from near the Gulf of Kachchh
in Rajasthan and from Madras in Tamil Nadu, India.
Browne (1992; Fig. 2) maps all of these populations as
Artemia parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978. In
the only case that has not been shown to be a misidentification of A. parthenogenetica, Bhargava & Alam
D. Belk, H. 1. Dumont & G. Maier (eds), Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture I/.
©1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
287
Anostraca of the Indian Subcontinent
Denton Belk 1 & Cristine E. Esparza 2
1 Biology Department, Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78207-4666, USA;
2Department of Biology, University of San Diego, Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
Key words: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, species richness, taxonomy, zoogeography
Abstract
There are 15 species of Anostraca belonging to 6 genera on the Indian Subcontinent. These are: Artemia sp. (reportedly a bisexual form of undetermined species); Artemia parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978; Branchinecta
orientalis Sars, 1901; Branchinella hardingi (Qadri & Baqai, 1956); Branchinella kugenumaensis (Ishikawa, 1895);
Branchinella ornata Daday, 1910; Branchipodopsis acanthopenes (Malhotra & Duda, 1970); Branchipodopsis
affinis Sars, 1901; Branchipus schaefferi Fischer, 1834; Chirocephalus priscus (Daday, 1910); Streptocephalus
dichotomus Baird, 1860; Streptocephalus echinus Bond, 1934; Streptocephalus longimanus Bond, 1934; Streptocephalus simplex Gurney, 1906; Streptocephalus spinifer Gurney, 1906.
Comparing numbers of species for southern India with other reasonably well studied areas, demonstrated that
anostracan species richness is higher in the climatically more varied temperate regions than it is in the more uniform
tropics. Tropical South India has six species compared to 13 in Arizona (USA), 19 in California (USA), 10 in
Morocco, and 14 in Italy.
Introduction
The only review treating the anostracan fauna of the
Indian Subcontinent, Bond (1934), is now 60 years
old. In his paper, Bond reported eight taxa excluding
records for parts of Tibet now incorporated into China
and outside the subcontinent proper. Three of these
he described as subspecies of Streptocephalus simplex
Gurney, 1906. Brtek (1974) suggested, in a footnote,
that two of these subspecies are probably independent
species. We find the third to be a synonym of S. simplex.
Bond did not note the occurrence of Streptocephalus
spinifer Gurney, 1906 described from the island of Sri
Lanka (Ceylon at the time).
Since Bond's publication, reports place two species
of Branchinella described before 1934 on the subcontinent. Additional reports give localities for Artemia
parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978 and suggest the presence of a bisexual Artemia species. Linder
(1941), working with specimens collected near Madras
and deposited in the British Museum (Natural History), reported Branchinella kugenumaensis (Ishikawa,
1894). Raj (1951), unaware of Linder's report, pubIi shed a 'first record' of this species and described the
Indian popUlation as a new subspecies, B. k. madurai. We present evidence this subspecies designation
is not valid. Baid (1968) reported Branchinella ornata
Daday, 1910 from Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, India.
Kulkarni (1953) reported finding the first examples
on the subcontinent of an Artemia sp. at Vadala near
Bombay, India. He detailed the population as being
98% females. Baid (1958) reported Artemia, misidentified as A. salina, from Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan,
India. The several hundred specimens from this lake
at the Indian Museum seem to all be females. Royan
et at. (1970) found Artemia at Veppalodai near Tuticorin Tamil Nadu, India and also misidentified them as
A. salina. Achari (1971) discussed Artemia on Karsewar Island, Gulf of Mannar also misidentifying them
as A. salina. Clark & Bowen (1976) reported populations of Artemia from near the Gulf of Kachchh
in Rajasthan and from Madras in Tamil Nadu, India.
Browne (1992; Fig. 2) maps all of these populations as
Artemia parthenogenetica Bowen & Sterling, 1978. In
the only case that has not been shown to be a misidentification of A. parthenogenetica, Bhargava & Alam