A cladoceran similar to the American Diaphanosoma brevireme Sars, 1901 (Crustacea: Cladocera: Sididae) found in the Russian Far East

Abstract

Two specimens of the genus Diaphanosoma Fischer, 1850, morphologically similar to the American tropical-subtropical D. brevireme Sars, 1901, have been found in the Zeya River basin, a major northern tributary of the Amur River (Amursky District, Far East of Russia). Comparison of these specimens from the Zeya River with those of the latter species from Argentina, Brasilia, and Cuba has revealed some specific morphological differences but the material was not sufficient to complete the description of a probable new taxon of the species rank. The occurrence of specimens from the Far East in a cold, temperate water bodies and remoteness of their locality from those of close congeners support the idea of the relict status of the taxon. © arthropoda selecta, 2011.