Safia Akli-Bidi‡Corresponding author: Safia Akli-Bidi ( safiabidi@yahoo.fr ) © Safia Akli-Bidi. This is an open access preprint distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation:
Akli-Bidi S (2022) Morphological variability of Eucyclops serrulatus (Fisher, 1851) (Crustacea, Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from Algerian water bodies. ARPHA Preprints. https://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e97090 |  |
The identification of Eucyclops serrulatus (Fisher, 1851) coming from Algerian water bodies show three morphotypes 1, 2 and 3, based on the morphometric characters and the microcharacters. The morphotype 1 was the most abundant, collected in the East and the West of Algeria. The morphotype 2 was sampled in the south of the country, characterized by posterolaterally elongated thoracic segments and the fourth thoracic segment has cilia on its lateral angles. The morphotype 3 was found in a small temporary pond in the north and was the smallest one. Other differences were observed on surface microcharacters of basis antenna, coxa and intercoxal sclerite of the fourth leg. The characters of the most widespread morphotype (morphotype1) were stable in all localities despite the fact that these were located in two geographically separated regions (Eastern and western Algeria).
Three morphological variability of Eucyclops serrulatus (Fisher, 1851) (Crustacea, Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from Algerian water bodies were identified. The characters of the most widespread morphotype (morphotype 1) were stable in all localities despite the fact that these were located in two geographically separated regions (Eastern and western Algeria). The morphotype 2 did not share some of microcharacters such as basis antenna (posterior face) did not show three parallel rows of hair-like setules.