Biological notes about a new Conchostraca (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) of high altitude

Abstract

Biological notes about a new Conchostraca (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) of high altitude?. Leptestheria tucumanensis, a new species related to L. titicacae Harding, is described from high altitude lakes and ?bogs? of the Cumbres Calehaquíes, in Tucumán province, Argentina. General ecological factors are noted. Physical factors are mainly related to high altitude (+ 4,250 m). Chemical and biotic factors are extremely variable within short distances. Two main types of sites exist: 1) highly alkaline lakes, and 2) acid pools within phanerogamic bogs. Distribution from lake to lake in the area during a 3 year period is quite variable, as it is from year to year within the same lake, possibly due to the interaction of biotic and abiotie factors. The ambiguous systematic position of both related species, L. titicacae and L. tucumanensis, is discussed, mainly as they share characters of Leptestheriidae and Cyzicicac.