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In order to improve our general knowledge on the distribution of the various species of freshwater crayfish of the family Astacidae in Croatia, we gathered all the available unpublished data, as well as data from the literature and those of our own investigations. Our research confirmed the presence of three crayfish species in Croatia: Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1758), Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803), and Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858), and we officially recorded the presence of Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823 and Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817). Biogeographical data suggest the following distribution pattern: A. astacus is distributed in the continental part of Croatia, forming both river and lake populations. A. pallipes is distributed in south and southwest Croatia (Lika, Istria, Dalmatia, and on some islands in the Adriatic Sea). A. torrentium can be found in streams at higher altitudes in the continental part of Croatia. Finally, A. leptodactylus is found in the rivers of eastern and central Croatia (Slavonia and Posavina), while O. limosus was discovered recently in marshes of the Nature Park Kopački rit (Slavonia). Some mixed populations of A. astacus and A. torrentium were detected. Some specimens of A. pallipes and A. torrentium were found in underground habitats. Research on the distribution of freshwater crayfish should be more intensive, and will be continued in the future.

[Lonjsko Polje (Croatia) is among the largest alluvial wetlands in Europe. Temporary ponds that are the natural habitat for spinicaudatan branchiopods are very abundant in the area. We determined the time of occurrence, length of the life span, and the sexual structure and habitat characteristics of populations of Spinicaudata. Research took place from May to December 2004 at five sites. Three spinicaudatans were found: Cyzicus tetracerus (Krynicki, 1830) in spring (May to July) and autumn (late October), Eoleptestheria ticinensis (Balsamo-Crivelli, 1859) in spring (mid-May) and Leptestheria dahalacensis (Ruppell, 1837) in summer (mid-July). The length of their life span was 2-4 weeks. The populations of Cyzicus tetracerus, Eoleptestheria ticinensis, and Leptestheria dahalacensis consisted of males and females in an approximately 1 : 1 sex ratio. Ecological aspects of the habitat, including physico-chemical characteristics of the water as well as the structure and abundance of the associated fauna, were also observed. Lonsko Polje (Croatie) compte parmi les zones humides alluviales les plus vastes d'Europe. Les mares temporaires, qui sont l'habitat naturel des branchiopodes Spinicaudata, sont tres nombreuses dans cette region. Nous avons determine la periode de presence, la longevite, la structure sexuelle et les caracteristiques de l'habitat des populations de Spinicaudata. Cette recherche a ete realisee de mai a decembre 2004 sur cinq sites. Trois Spinicaudata ont ete trouves : Cyzicus tetracerus (Krynicki, 1830) au printemps (mai a juillet) et en automne (fin octobre), Eoleptestheria ticinensis (Balsamo-Crivelli, 1859) au printemps (mi-mai), et Leptestheria dahalacensis (Ruppell, 1837) en ete (mi-juillet). Leur temps de vie etait de 2 a 4 semaines. Les populations de Cyzicus tetracerus, Eoleptestheria ticinensis et Leptestheria dahalacensis etaient composees de mâles et de femelles dans le sex-ratio d'approximativement 1 : 1. Les aspects ecologiques de l'habitat, incluant les caracteristiques physico-chimiques de l'eau ainsi que la structure et l'abondance de la faune associee, ont ete egalement observes., Lonjsko Polje (Croatia) is among the largest alluvial wetlands in Europe. Temporary ponds that are the natural habitat for spinicaudatan branchiopods are very abundant in the area. We determined the time of occurrence, length of the life span, and the sexual structure and habitat characteristics of populations of Spinicaudata. Research took place from May to December 2004 at five sites. Three spinicaudatans were found: Cyzicus tetracerus (Krynicki, 1830) in spring (May to July) and autumn (late October), Eoleptestheria ticinensis (Balsamo-Crivelli, 1859) in spring (mid-May) and Leptestheria dahalacensis (Ruppell, 1837) in summer (mid-July). The length of their life span was 2-4 weeks. The populations of Cyzicus tetracerus, Eoleptestheria ticinensis, and Leptestheria dahalacensis consisted of males and females in an approximately 1 : 1 sex ratio. Ecological aspects of the habitat, including physico-chemical characteristics of the water as well as the structure and abundance of the associated fauna, were also observed. Lonsko Polje (Croatie) compte parmi les zones humides alluviales les plus vastes d'Europe. Les mares temporaires, qui sont l'habitat naturel des branchiopodes Spinicaudata, sont tres nombreuses dans cette region. Nous avons determine la periode de presence, la longevite, la structure sexuelle et les caracteristiques de l'habitat des populations de Spinicaudata. Cette recherche a ete realisee de mai a decembre 2004 sur cinq sites. Trois Spinicaudata ont ete trouves : Cyzicus tetracerus (Krynicki, 1830) au printemps (mai a juillet) et en automne (fin octobre), Eoleptestheria ticinensis (Balsamo-Crivelli, 1859) au printemps (mi-mai), et Leptestheria dahalacensis (Ruppell, 1837) en ete (mi-juillet). Leur temps de vie etait de 2 a 4 semaines. Les populations de Cyzicus tetracerus, Eoleptestheria ticinensis et Leptestheria dahalacensis etaient composees de mâles et de femelles dans le sex-ratio d'approximativement 1 : 1. Les aspects ecologiques de l'habitat, incluant les caracteristiques physico-chimiques de l'eau ainsi que la structure et l'abondance de la faune associee, ont ete egalement observes.]

The karst areas in Croatia, part of the Dinarides, have been defined biospeleologically as an area of high biodiversity in world terms, covering 26 thousand km2 in all. In this monograph we give data about the biodiversity of subterranean habitats and their biota primarily from a taxonomic perspective with special attention being paid to regional diversity. The diversified geomorphology, hydrology and climate have resulted in a remarkable range of different underground habitats in Croatia, viz. inland and coastal caves, superficial and deep phreatic networks, interstitial – hyporheic substrates and other infiltration zones, etc. In Croatia more than 500 obligate subterranean species and subspecies are known from caves and interstitial habitats. The majority of subterranean species in Croatia are terrestrial biota. There are 299 troglobiont and 170 stygobiont taxa (species and subspecies) recorded. Most subterranean species have very restricted ranges, almost 70% of them endemic to Croatia. Cave fungi are poorly known. Among them there are several important parasitic troglobionts and troglophilic species on cave coleopterans and troglophilic moths in Croatian caves. Some saprotrophic species could be troglobiotic too but their taxonomic and/or ecological status must be clarified in future research. With a respect to the number of troglobionts, the five largest animal groups are Coleoptera, Pseudoscorpiones, Araneae, Gastropoda and Diplopoda. The beetles (Coleoptera) are predominant. More than 100 cavernicolous beetles (species and subspecies) are known in Croatia. Among stygobionts, the Crustacea predominate. At least half of species described are Crustacea. Among Crustacea, the orders Syncarida and Thermosbaenacea are exclusively stygobiotic. Numerically, among crustacean stygobiotic Amphipoda dominate in caves and Copepoda in interstitial habitats. The only known stygobiotic sponge Eunapius subterraneus Sket et Velikonja inhabits several caves in Croatia. Also, the only known stygobiotic clam Congeria kusceri Bole inhabits a series of caves in Croatia. Other important groups include hydrozoa, planarians (Temnocephalida and Tricladida), snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) and the only European stygobiotic Chordata Proteus anguinus Laurenti. The high taxonomic diversity of the subterranean biota of Croatia can be attributed partly to the geographical heterogeneity and a rather unique combination of various geological and ecological phenomena., Krško područje Hrvatske ukupne površine 26 tisuća km2, s dijelom dinarskog krša, biospeleološki je određeno kao područje velike biološke raznolikosti u svijetu. U ovoj monografiji podastiru se podaci o biološkoj raznolikosti podzemnih staništa i organizama primarno s taksonomskog aspekta i s posebnim osvrtom na regionalnu raznolikost. Geomorfološka, hidrološka i klimatološka raznolikost Hrvatske rezultirala je osobitim rasponom različitih podzemnih staništa, kao što su kontinentalne i priobalne špilje, mreža plitke i duboke freatičke zone, intersticij – hiporeička zona i drugi tipovi infiltracijskih zona, itd. Iz špilja i intersticijskih staništa Hrvatske poznato je preko 500 obveznih podzemnih vrsta i podvrsta. Većina podzemnih vrsta u Hrvatskoj su kopneni organizmi. Utvrđeno je 299 troglobionata i 170 stigobionata. Većina podzemnih vrsta ima vrlo ograničeno područje rasprostranjenosti, gotovo 70% je endemno za Hrvatsku. Špiljske gljive su vrlo slabo poznate. Među njima je nekoliko troglobionata i troglofila koji su paraziti na špiljskim kornjašima i troglofilnim leptirima. Neke subtroglofilne vrste možda su također troglobiontske, no njihov taksonomski i/ili ekološki status morala bi razjasniti buduća istraživanja. U pogledu najveće brojnosti troglobionata, pet je velikih skupina životinja – Coleoptera, Pseudoscorpiones, Araneae, Gastropoda i Diplopoda. Kornjaši (Coleoptera) su najdominantniji. U Hrvatskoj je poznato više od 100 kavernikolnih kornjaša (vrsta i podvrsta). Među stigobiontima dominiraju raci. Gotovo polovica opisanih vrsta su iz skupine Crustacea. Među racima, skupina Syncarida i Thermosbaenacea su isključivi stigobionti. Brojčano gledano, među stigobiontskim racima skupina Amphipoda dominira u špiljama, a skupina Copepoda u intersticiju. Jedina do danas poznata stigobiontska spužva Eunapius subterraneus Sket et Velikonja nastanjuje nekoliko špilja u Hrvatskoj. Također jedini poznati stigobiontski školjkaš Congeria kusceri Bole nastanjuje niz špilja u Hrvatskoj. Ostale važne skupine su obrubnjaci, virnjaci (Temnocephalida i Tricladida), puževi (Gastropoda) i jedini poznati stigobiontski kralježnjak Proteus anguinus Laurenti. Velika taksonomska raznolikost podzemnih organizama Hrvatske pripisuje se djelomično geološkoj heterogenosti i posebno jedinstvenom spoju različitih geoloških i ekoloških pojava.

A new species of the freshwater subterranean amphipod genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Crustacea Amphipoda, fam. Niphargidae), N. echion, n. sp., is described and figured from the cave PliÓkoviƒeva jama near Ò ikuti village, Istra (Croatia), and its taxonomic position within the genus Niphargus is discussed.