Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Global diversity of ostracods (Ostracoda, Crustacea) in freshwater

  • FRESHWATER ANIMAL DIVERSITY ASSESSMENT
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There are close to 2,000 subjective species and about 200 genera of Recent non-marine Ostracoda. Together, Cyprididae (1,000 spp.) and Candonidae (c. 550 spp.) represent more than 75% of the extant specific diversity; the remaining 11 families comprise the other 25% of the species. The Palaearctic region has the highest absolute non-marine ostracod diversity, followed by the Afrotropical. The Australian region has the highest relative endemicity. About 90% of the species and 60% of the genera occur in one zoogeographical region only. This means that all the biological mechanisms which lead up to efficient dispersal and which are present in at least part of the non-marine Ostracoda (e.g. brooding, drought-resistant eggs, parthenogenesis) have not induced common cosmopolitan distributions in ostracods. Several habitats are hotspots for ostracod diversity and endemicity. For example, it appears that the ancient lakes hold up to 25% of the total ostracod diversity. Other speciation-prone habitats are groundwater, temporary pools and Australian salt lakes; in the latter two instances, cladogenesis has often been paralleled by gigantism. The present ostracod diversity results from 9 to 12 separate invasions of the non-marine habitat, starting about 400 Myr ago. Genetic diversity can be very different in different species, mostly, but not always, related to reproductive mode.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balian, E., H. Segers, C. Lévèque & K. Martens, 2008. An Introduction to the freshwater animal diversity assessment (FADA) project. In Balian, E. et al. (eds), Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment. Hydrobiologia, doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9235-6

  • Broodbakker, N. W., 1984. The distribution and zoogeography of freshwater Ostracoda (Crustacea) in the West Indies, with emphasis on species inhabiting wells. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde 52(2): 25–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danielopol, D. L., P. Marmonier, A. J. Boulton & G. Bonaduce, 1994. World subterranean ostracod biogeography: dispersal or vicariance? Hydrobiologia 287: 119–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, J. A. & A. Chivas (eds), 2002. The Ostracoda: Applications in Quaternary Research. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horne, D. J., 2003. Key events in the ecological radiation of the Ostracoda. In Park, L. E. & Smith, A. J. (eds), Bridging the Gap: Trends in the Ostracode Biological And Geological Sciences. The Paleontological Society Papers 9: 181–201.

  • Horne, D. J. & K. Martens, 1998. An assessment of the importance of resting eggs for the evolutionary success of non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea). In Brendonck, L., L. De Meester & N. Hairston (eds), Evolutionary and Ecological Aspects of Crustacean Diapause. Advances in Limnology 52: 549–561.

  • Karanovic, I., 2007. Candoninae Ostracodes from the Pilbara Region in Western Australia. Crustaceana Monographs 7: 432 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempf, E., 1980a. Index and Bibliography of non-marine ostracods. 1. Index A. Geologisches Institut, Universität Köln, 35: 188 pp.

  • Kempf, E., 1980b. Index and Bibliography of non-marine ostracods. 4. Bibliography A. Geologisches Institut, Universität Köln, 38: 186 pp.

  • Kempf, E., 1991a. Index and Bibliography of non-marine ostracods. 6. Index A, Supplement 1. Geologisches Institut, Universität Köln, working copy 10: 51 pp.

  • Kempf, E., 1991b. Index and Bibliography of non-marine ostracods. Bibliography C. Geologisches Institut, Universität Köln, working copy, 9: 72 pp.

  • McKenzie, K. G., 1986: Ostracoda: new aspects of their biogeography. In Gore, R. H. & K. L. Heck (eds), Crustacean Biogeography. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Boston: 257–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K., 1984. Annotated checklist of non-marine ostracods (Ostracoda, Crustacea) from African inland waters. Zoologische dokumentatie van het koninklijk Museum voor Midden Afrika, Tervuren, 20: 51 pp.

  • Martens, K., 1994. Ostracod speciation in ancient lakes: a review. In Martens, K., Goddeeris, B. & Coulter, G. (eds), Speciation in Ancient Lakes. Advances in Limnology 44: 203–222.

  • Martens, K. (ed.) 1998a. Sex and Parthenogenesis – Evolutionary Ecology of Reproductive Modes in Non-marine Ostracods. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, 334 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K., 1998b. Diversity and endemicity of Recent non-marine ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Africa and South America: a faunal comparison. Verhandlungen der Internationalen Vereinigung für Limnologie 26(4): 2093–2097.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K., 2003. On the evolution of Gomphocythere (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in Lake Nyassa/Malawi (East Africa), with the description of five new species. Hydrobiologia 497: 121–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K. & F. Behen, 1994. A checklist of the non-marine ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from South-American inland waters and adjacent islands. Travaux scientifiques du Musée d’Histoire naturelle de Luxembourg 22: 81 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, K. & D. J. Horne, (in press). Ostracoda. In G. Likkens (ed.), Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. Elsevier Publ.

  • Mazepova, G., 1990. Rakushkovye ratchki (Ostracoda) Baikala. Nauk. Sib. Otdel. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, Novosibirsk, 470 pp.

  • Meisch, C., 2000. Freshwater Ostracoda of Western and Central Europe. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag GmbH, Heidelberg, Berlin, 522 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinto, R. L., C. E. F. Rocha & K. Martens, 2005. On new terrestrial ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Brazil, primarily from Sao Paulo State. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 145: 145–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, V., I. Schön, R. K. Butlin & P. Menozzi, 1998. Clonal genetic diversity. In Martens, K., (ed.), Sex and Parthenogenesis, Evolutionary Ecology of Reproductive Modes in Non-marine Ostracods. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden: 257–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schön, I., A. Gandolfi, E. Di Masso, V. Rossi, H. I. Griffiths, K. Martens, R. K. Butlin, 2000. Long-term persistence of asexuality through mixed reproduction in Eucypris virens (Crustacea, Ostracoda). Heredity 84: 161–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. J., 2000. Morphology and ontogeny of Cretaceous ostracods with preserved appendages from Brazil. Palaeontology 43: 63–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straub, E. W., 1952. Mikropaläontologische Untersuchungen im Tertiär zwischen Ehingen und Ulm an dem Donau. Geologisches Jahrbuch 66, 433–523.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wouters, K., K. Martens, 2001. On the Cyprideis species flock (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in Lake Tanganyika, with the description of four new species. Hydrobiologia 450: 111–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Karel Wouters, Hendrik Segers and Estelle Balian (Brussels) suggested improvements on an earlier version of the manuscript. Funding for the present research was received from the Belgian Science Policy (Agreement ‘freshwater biodiversity’), the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Vlaanderen (project “Ecological biogeography of freshwater rockpool communities”; coordinator: L. Brendonck, K.U.Leuven) and the EU (RTN Marie Curie Project ‘Sexasex’, coordinator KM).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Freshwater Biology, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Koen Martens & Isa Schön

  2. University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium

    Koen Martens

  3. Musée national d’Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Claude Meisch

  4. Department of Geography, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK

    David J. Horne

Authors
  1. Koen Martens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Isa Schön
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Claude Meisch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David J. Horne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koen Martens.

Additional information

Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens

Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martens, K., Schön, I., Meisch, C. et al. Global diversity of ostracods (Ostracoda, Crustacea) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595, 185–193 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9245-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9245-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation