An overview of the distribution of the Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Syncarida Bathynellacea) on the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands

Abstract

This paper reviews all the knowledge on the presence and distribution of 26 species of the family Parabathynellidae Noodt, 1964 (Crustacea, Syncarida, Bathynellacea) on the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. The different genera, subgenera and species distributions are subjected to a basic analysis. The presence of these taxa in different subterranean aquatic habitats (caves, springs, wells and interstitial environment) is also discussed. The most sampled habitat was the interstitial environment (45%); the least sampled habitat was springs (5%). The most commonly found genus was Iberobathynella Schminke, 1973 (54%) and the rarest was Guadalopebathynella Camacho & Serban, 1998 (0.7%) All the knowledge on these taxa in the study area, in Europe and in the world is compared and evaluated. More species of the Parabathynellidae live on the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands than in any other part of the world (26 species). Iberobathynella is a highly diversified genus endemic to the Iberian peninsula. Its diversity is comparable to another genus in the order, Hexabathynella Schminke, 1972, which also has 18 described species. However, Hexabathynella has a cosmopolitan distribution.