Investigation of the Amphipoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca) Fauna of Caves in the Western Black Sea Region

Project no. 24046 · Status: Kapanmış · 2023

Summary

<p>This&nbsp;study&nbsp;aimed&nbsp;to&nbsp;comprehensively&nbsp;investigate&nbsp;the&nbsp;Amphipoda&nbsp;(Crustacea:&nbsp;Malacostraca)&nbsp;fauna&nbsp;of&nbsp;caves&nbsp;and&nbsp;subterranean&nbsp;aquatic&nbsp;systems&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Western&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;Region&nbsp;of&nbsp;Türkiye.&nbsp;Within&nbsp;the&nbsp;scope&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;project,&nbsp;samples&nbsp;were&nbsp;collected&nbsp;from&nbsp;several&nbsp;caves&nbsp;located&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;provinces&nbsp;of&nbsp;Düzce,&nbsp;Zonguldak,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bartın,&nbsp;including&nbsp;Fakıllı,&nbsp;Gökgöl,&nbsp;Sarpunalınca,&nbsp;Haşhaşlı,&nbsp;Çayır,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Cumayanı&nbsp;caves.&nbsp;The&nbsp;collected&nbsp;material&nbsp;was&nbsp;examined&nbsp;using&nbsp;detailed&nbsp;morphological&nbsp;and&nbsp;partially&nbsp;molecular&nbsp;approaches.</p><p>Morphological&nbsp;analyses&nbsp;were&nbsp;conducted&nbsp;under&nbsp;stereomicroscope&nbsp;and&nbsp;compound&nbsp;microscope,&nbsp;focusing&nbsp;on&nbsp;diagnostic&nbsp;structures&nbsp;such&nbsp;as&nbsp;antennae,&nbsp;gnathopods,&nbsp;mouthparts,&nbsp;pereopods,&nbsp;and&nbsp;uropods.&nbsp;Visual&nbsp;documentation&nbsp;was&nbsp;supported&nbsp;by&nbsp;high-resolution&nbsp;imaging&nbsp;techniques&nbsp;and&nbsp;focus&nbsp;stacking&nbsp;methods,&nbsp;and&nbsp;detailed&nbsp;morphological&nbsp;illustrations&nbsp;were&nbsp;prepared&nbsp;based&nbsp;on&nbsp;these&nbsp;images.&nbsp;Molecular&nbsp;analyses&nbsp;were&nbsp;carried&nbsp;out&nbsp;using&nbsp;mitochondrial&nbsp;COI&nbsp;and&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;28S&nbsp;gene&nbsp;regions.&nbsp;The&nbsp;obtained&nbsp;sequences&nbsp;were&nbsp;used&nbsp;for&nbsp;genetic&nbsp;distance&nbsp;calculations&nbsp;and&nbsp;phylogenetic&nbsp;analyses.</p><p>As&nbsp;a&nbsp;result&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;study,&nbsp;three&nbsp;new&nbsp;species&nbsp;belonging&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;family&nbsp;Gammaridae&nbsp;(<em>Gammarus&nbsp;kunti</em>,&nbsp;<em>Gammarus&nbsp;tumaf</em>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Gammarus&nbsp;elifedae</em>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;one&nbsp;new&nbsp;species&nbsp;belonging&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;family&nbsp;Niphargidae&nbsp;(<em>Niphargus&nbsp;elvericii</em>)&nbsp;were&nbsp;described.&nbsp;All&nbsp;identified&nbsp;species&nbsp;exhibit&nbsp;narrow&nbsp;distribution&nbsp;ranges&nbsp;and&nbsp;local&nbsp;endemism,&nbsp;indicating&nbsp;a&nbsp;high&nbsp;level&nbsp;of&nbsp;isolation&nbsp;in&nbsp;subterranean&nbsp;habitats&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;region.&nbsp;The&nbsp;presence&nbsp;of&nbsp;troglomorphic&nbsp;features&nbsp;such&nbsp;as&nbsp;depigmentation,&nbsp;reduction&nbsp;or&nbsp;complete&nbsp;loss&nbsp;of&nbsp;eyes,&nbsp;and&nbsp;elongation&nbsp;of&nbsp;appendages&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;advanced&nbsp;adaptation&nbsp;of&nbsp;these&nbsp;organisms&nbsp;to&nbsp;cave&nbsp;environments.</p><p>The&nbsp;molecular&nbsp;data&nbsp;supported&nbsp;the&nbsp;morphological&nbsp;findings&nbsp;and&nbsp;revealed&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;newly&nbsp;described&nbsp;species&nbsp;represent&nbsp;distinct&nbsp;evolutionary&nbsp;lineages.&nbsp;Phylogenetic&nbsp;analyses&nbsp;clearly&nbsp;resolved&nbsp;the&nbsp;relationships&nbsp;among&nbsp;species&nbsp;and&nbsp;highlighted&nbsp;the&nbsp;Western&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;Region&nbsp;as&nbsp;an&nbsp;important&nbsp;biogeographic&nbsp;center&nbsp;for&nbsp;amphipod&nbsp;diversity.</p><p>In&nbsp;conclusion,&nbsp;this&nbsp;study&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;that&nbsp;cave&nbsp;ecosystems&nbsp;in&nbsp;Türkiye&nbsp;remain&nbsp;largely&nbsp;unexplored&nbsp;and&nbsp;harbor&nbsp;a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;level&nbsp;of&nbsp;hidden&nbsp;biodiversity.&nbsp;The&nbsp;findings&nbsp;also&nbsp;emphasize&nbsp;the&nbsp;necessity&nbsp;of&nbsp;conserving&nbsp;these&nbsp;fragile&nbsp;habitats&nbsp;and&nbsp;provide&nbsp;a&nbsp;valuable&nbsp;baseline&nbsp;for&nbsp;future&nbsp;taxonomic,&nbsp;ecological,&nbsp;and&nbsp;molecular&nbsp;studies.</p>

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