title: A new species of Nitocra Boeck, 1865 (Harpacticoida, Ameiridae, Ameirinae) from South Africa, with notes on its ecology and remarks on the status of Nitocra sewelli husmanni Kunz, 1976.
abstract: A new species of the genus Nitocra Boeck, 1865, Nitocra taylorisp. n. is described from the St Lucia Estuary, Africa's largest estuarine lake. It is also suggested that Nitocra sewelli husmanni Kunz, 1976 and Nitocra reducta fluviatilisGalhano, 1968 are granted full species rank as Nitocra husmannistat. n. Kunz, 1976 and Nitocra fluviatilisstat. n. Galhano, 1968. Nitocra taylorisp. n. appears to be closely related to Nitocra husmanni. Unfortunately, the original description of the micro-characters of the species lacks the detail needed to make reliable comparisons between species of the genus Nitocra. The main differences observed are the number of spinules along the posterior margin of the anal operculum, length ratio of the exopod and endopod of the first swimming leg, shape of the outer spine on the male third endopodal segment of the third swimming leg, number of segments of the male antennule, relative length of the setae on the male baseoendopod of the fifth leg, shape of the male exopod of the fifth leg, relative length of the two setae of the male sixth leg, and shape of the female baseoendopod of the fifth leg. The current distribution of Nitocra taylorisp. n. is limited to the lake part of the estuary, an area which is most severely affected by the current freshwater deprivation crisis. During closed mouth conditions, these regions (South/North Lake and False Bay) are characterized by low water levels, high salinities and high turbidity levels. This suggests that Nitocra taylorisp. n. may favor these environmental conditions and the significant correlations found between the abundance of Nitocra taylorisp. n. and salinity and turbidity confirm this to a degree. Nitocra taylorisp. n. individuals are also able to withstand a wide range of fluctuations. They were recorded at turbidities ranging from 2 to 102 NTU, temperatures from 20.9 to 34.8 ºC and salinity levels ranging from 9.81 to 53.7 psu. However, in the current state of the system, salinity and temperature levels in the northern regions frequently exceed this value. Continued freshwater deprivation may, therefore, further limit the distribution range of this species.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica Mazatlán; Joel Montes Camarena s/n, 82040, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Nicola K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Francisco Neptalí
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Morales-Serna
keywords: Nitocra; South Africa; St Lucia Estuary; ecology; taxonomy