Global diversity of amphipods (Amphipoda; Crustacea) in freshwater

Crangonyx pseudogracilis Bousfield, 1958 – the first alien amphipod crustacean in freshwaters of Iberian Peninsula (Portugal)

“…Concluding, the species has large invasive potential, particularly in warm and relatively polluted waters of the Iberian Peninsula. The epigean amphipod freshwater fauna of the Iberian Peninsula has not been thoroughly studied, yet its high level of endemism is already known (Pinkster, 1993;Väinölä et al, 2008). Being the first amphipod invader in inland waters of the Iberian Peninsula, C. pseudogracilis may pose a serious threat to local species, such as Echinogammarus lusitanus (Schellenberg, 1943) or E. meridionalis Pinkster, 1973 -endemics occurring in Portuguese lowland streams (Pinkster, 1993).…”

“…The genus Crangonyx groups nearly 50 species, of which 42 are native and primarily endemic to North America (Zhang and Holsinger, 2003;Väinölä et al, 2008). Crangonyx pseudogracilis Bousfield, 1958 has the widest geographic distribution among all congeneric species.…”

Low intraspecific genetic divergence and weak niche differentiation despite wide ranges and extensive sympatry in two epigean Niphargus species (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

“…The genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 is the most diverse genus of freshwater amphipods, 47 comprising more than 330 described taxa distributed throughout the Western Palaearctic 48 (Väinölä et al, 2008;Esmaeili-Rineh et al, 2015). All Niphargus species are blind and 49 depigmented and they inhabit virtually all types of subterranean habitats, whereas only a few 50 are known to occur in surface waters (Sket, 1981;Fišer et al, 2006).…”

First record of Gammarus roeselii Gervais, 1835 (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) from Kosovo with ecological notes

“…Species of this family live in different habitats in freshwater, brackish and marine ecosystems, mostly on the bottom in shallow areas among stones, roots and vegetation (e.g. Väinölä et al, 2008).…”