Paralimnadia badia ( Wolf, 1911 )

Timms, Brian V., 2016, A review of the Australian endemic clam shrimp, Paralimnadia Sars 1896 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata), Zootaxa 4161 (4), pp. 451-508 : 465-468

Paralimnadia badia ( Wolf, 1911)

( Figs. 4 , 5 , 9 )

Eulimnadia badia Wolf, 1911: 270 –275; Dakin, 1914: 295 (list), 301 (text). Limnadia badia .— Daday, 1925: 149 (key), 151–155, fig. 115; Brtek, 1997: 56 (list); Richter & Timms, 2005: 347 –348; Weeks et al., 2006: 157 (list).

Paralimnadia badia .— Rogers et al., 2012: 838.

Type locality. 19 km E of Merredin, Burracoppin Rocks , Western Australia, 31°23’42”E, 118°27’08”E.

Material examined. South Australia: 26.8 km ENE of Wudinna, Corrobinnae Rock, 32°59’25”S, 135°44’27”E, granite pool, 18 July 2012, BVT, 56 specimens, AM P98997 . Western Australia: Katanning Wells , 72 km E of Bencubbin, no date, P.J. Barwise, 1 in each, WAM C 2848–2852; Bruce Rock, Mr Drummond, August 1930, 1 in each, WAM C3928–3940; Wiaki, 14 September 1933, T.J.Barwise, 1 in each, WAM C3928–3940 & C4929; Nukanui, 21 July 1941, G. Vaughan, 1 specimen, WAM C5916 ; North Kelleberrin , 24 October 1935, J. Green, 1 in each, WAM C51102 – 51115; Holt Rock , 13 September, 1962, WAM C14296 ; East of Merredin , granite pool, 31°29’S, 118°16’E, 4 July 1964, D. H. Edwards, 11+21+ 10 specimens respectively, AM P55621 – 55623; Albany Highway , granite pool, 34°52’S, 117°45’E, 2 August 1962, D.H. Edwards, 11 specimens, AM P55624 ; Albany Highway , granite pool, 34°52’S, 117°45’E, 31 October 1961, D.H. Edwards, 8 specimens, AM P55625 ; Albany Highway , granite pool, 34°52’S, 117°45’E, 16 July 1963, D.H. Edwards, 29 specimens, AM P55626 ; Yorkrakine Rocks , granite pool, 31°32’S, 117°35’E, 12 December 1952, D.H. Edwards, 5+8+ 1 specimens respectively, AM P55627 – 55629; Yellowdine Rock , large pool, 31°18’S, 119°39’E, 5 July 1964, D.H. Edwards, 12 specimens, AM P55630 ; East Yellowdine , large pool, 31°18’S, 119°39’E, 5 July 1964, 9 specimens, AM P55631 ; Moir Rock , 292 mile peg, Great Eastern Highway, temporary pool on granite outcrop, 32°39’S, 121°25’E, 5 July 1964, D.H. Edwards, 9 specimens, AM P55633 ; Mt Madden , temporary pool of granite outcrop, 33°15’S, 119°50’E, 8 July 1964, D.H. Edwards, 8 specimens, AM P55634 ; 27.5 km NE of Norseman, Buldania Rocks , temporary pool, 32°05’S, 122°02’E, 4 December 1959, D.H. Edwards, 4 specimens, AM P55664 ; 59 km N of Beacon, Mt Churchman , granite pool, 29°55’40”S, 117°54’03”E, 3 July 1990, D.H. Edward, 10 specimens, WAM C59540 ; 11 km N of Beacon, Billiburning Rock , granite pool, 30°10’20”S, 117°54’45”E, 3 July 1990, D.H. Edward, 12 specimens, WAM C59541 ; 22km WNW of Beacon, Cleary Rocks , granite pool, 30°22’34”S, 117°39’33”E, 3 July 1990, D.H. Edward, 20 specimens, WAM C59542 ; North Cascade , Peak Charles, 32°52’55.7”S, 121°09’43.2”E, 5 September 1985, M.S.Harvey & T.J. Doeg, 4 specimens NMV J14424 ; 33 km NW of Morawa, Bilya Rock , granite pools; 29°00’01”S, 115°52’26”E, 12 July 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 40 specimens, WAM C59543 ; Petruder Rock , pan gnamma, 30°25’24”S, 116°58’06”E, 14 July 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 17 specimens, WAM C59544 ; 48 km NE of Mukinbudin, Beringbooding Rock , granite pool, 30°33’35”S, 118°29’36”E, 15 August 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 21 specimens, WAM C59545 ; 53 km NE of Mukinbudin, Elachbutting Rocks , granite pool, 30°35’32”S, 118°36’41”E, 15 August 1990, I.A. E. Bayly, 17 specimens, WAM C59546 ; Sandford Rocks , granite pool, 31°13’45”S, 118°45’23”E, 15 August 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 37 specimens, WAM C59547 ; Jilbadjie Rocks , granite pool, 31°28’46”S, 119°13’53”E, 16 August 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 49 specimens, WAM C59548 ; Mt Hampton , granite pool, 31°45’43”S, 119°04’11”E, 16 August 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 47 specimens, WAM C59549 ; Yorkrakine Rock , granite pool, 31°32’35”S, 117°35’36”E, 26 August 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 18 specimens, WAM C59550 ; Wave Rock , granite pool; 32°26’43”S, 118°54’14”E, 28 August, 1990, I.A.E. Bayly, 34 specimens, WAM C59551 ; Paynes Find , Bullamanya Rocks, pan gnamma, 29°09’52”S, 117°39’36”E, 15 August 2003, BVT, 55 specimens, WAM C59552 ; Wardagga Rocks , pan gnamma, 29°21’53”S, 117°26’50”E, 16 August 2003, BVT, 50 specimens, WAM C59553 ; Petruder Rock , pan gnamma, 30°25’24”S, 116°58’06”E, 14 August 2003, BVT, 62 specimens, WAM C59554 ; Sullivan Rock , Albany Highway, pan gnamma, 32°22’09.6”S, 116°14’13.5”E, 9 August 2003, BVT, 110 specimens, WAM C59555 ; Boyigan Rock , pan gnamma, 32°28’08”S, 116°52’53”E, 27 August 2001, BVT, 37 specimens, WAM C59556 ; Corragin Rock , pan gnamma, 32°19’43”S, 117°53’14”E, 3 August 2003, BVT, 11 specimens, WAM C59557 ; Puntaping Rock , pan gnamma, 33°19’28”S, 117°23’54”E, 26 August 2003, BVT, 31 specimens, WAM C59558 ; Burracoppin Rock , 31°23’42”S, 118°28’07”E, 25 July 2010, BVT, 27 specimens, WAM C59559 ; 34 specimens, AM P98998; Sandford Rock , pan gnamma, 31°13’45”S, 118°45’23”E, 3 August 2003, BVT, 52 specimens, WAM C59560 ; Beladjie Rock , pan gnamma, 30°57’09”S, 118°52’45”E, 2 August 2003, BVT, 31 specimens, WAM C59561 ; Jilbadjie Rock , pan gnamma, 31°28’46”S, 119°13’53”E, 27 July 2003, BVT, 53 specimens, WAM C59562 ; Mt Walker , pan gnamma, 32°04’04”S, 118°245’18”E, 8 August 2004, BVT, 18 specimens, WAM C59563 ; Anderson Rocks , pan gnamma, 32°10’03”S, 118°51’11”E 26 July 2003, BVT, 53 specimens, WAM C59564 ; Wave Rock , pan gnamma, 32°26’43”S, 118°54’14”E, 27 July 2003, BVT, 53 specimens, WAM C59565 ; King Rocks , pan gnamma, 32°19’00”S, 119°09’09”E, 26 July 2003, BVT, 38 specimens, WAM C59566 ; Emu Rock , pan gnamma, 32°27’23”S, 119°24’53”E, 21 September 2003, BVT, 37 specimens, WAM C59567 ; Emu Rock , pool at eastern base of rock, 32o27’21.4”S, 119o25’15.0”E, 23 September 2003, BVT, 33 specimens, WAM C59568 ; Old Rainy Rocks , pan gnamma, 29°43’37”S, 119°35’25”E, 22 August 2003, BVT, 36 specimens, WAM C59569 ; Gnarlbine Rock , pan gnamma, 31°08’55”S, 120°57’25”E, 1 August 2001, BVT, 51 specimens, WAM C59570 ; Cave Hill , pan gnamma, 31°39’41”S, 121°13’51”E, 17 March 2007, BVT, 23 specimens, WAM C59571 ; Lilian Stokes Rock , pan gnamma, 33°04’19”S, 120°06’42”E, 24 August 2003, BVT, 36 specimens, WAM C59572 ; McDermid Rock , pan gnamma, 32°01’16”S, 120°44’13”E, 26 July 2003, BVT, 11 specimens, WAM C59573 ; McPherson Rocks , pan gnamma, 32°27’10”S, 121°40’28”E, 24 August 2003, BVT, 44 specimens, WAM C59574 ; Mt Ridley , pan gnamma, 33°17’34”S, 122°07’25”E, 5 September 2004, BVT, 19 specimens, WAM C59575 ; My Nay , pan gnamma, 33°23’45”S, 122°27’55”E, 13 September 2005, BVT, 14 specimens, WAM C59576 ; Peak Head , granite pool, 35°07’34”S, 117°57’00”E, 9 May 2005, Darcy Pirolta, 25 specimens, WAM C59577 ; Afghan Rocks , pan gnamma, 32°21’23”S, 123°40’05”E, 30 August 2001, BVT, 23 specimens, WAM C59578 ; Balladonia Rocks , pan gnamma, 32°27’39”S, 123°51’52”E, 31 July 2001, BVT, 54 specimens, WAM C59579 .

Description. Egg. ( Fig. 5 J, K) Spherical with many elongated projections. Mean diameter 222 µm, range 202– 235, n =25). About 30 polygons each elongated round a central groove usually infilled so the groove appears double. Walls of polygons narrow and steep, upper edges uneven and drawn into 3–6 elongated projections, mainly at wall junctions of adjacent polygons. Polygon floors sloping inwards to the groove and with uneven surfaces.

Differential diagnosis. This species is distinctive on many criteria. No other Paralimnadia (or Eulimnadia ) has an egg with an infilled groove within the polygons. The approximately 30 polygons each with 3–6 elongated projections are also distinctive. There are 20 trunk segments compared to 17–18 in most and 15–16 in some limnadiids. Both male and female heads have non-distinctive rostra and antennae, and the palps of the claspers are of typical construction. However the clasper endite III ( Fig. 9 D, E) is by far the largest of any species of Paralimnadia ; it protrudes as much as the diameter of the apical knob. The telson ( Fig. 9 C, H) has about 10 posterior row spines irregularly spaced and sized with the last spine particularly enlarged (about 3–5 times the length of the first). The cercopod ( Fig. 9 C, H) is completely devoid of setae, spines and denticles, a condition unknown in any other Paralimnadia .

Remarks. Unlike other species of Paralimnadia described over 100 years ago, this species is well characterised and types appointed are stored in the Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, (K- 19624) ( Wolf 1911; Richter & Timms 2005). There are also two syntypes in the WAM registered number C390. Only the egg needs to be described.

Distribution and ecology. Paralimnadia badia occurs throughout the wheatbelt of Western Australia and also beyond, into the goldfields and eastern Nullarbor ( Pinder et al. 2000; Timms 2006: fig. 3) ( Fig. 4 ). It is absent from acid gnammas in the Northcliffe area of far southwest of Western Australia, but does occur in rock pools in the forested Darling Range ( Bayly 1982, 1997; WAM55624–55626 above). To the north, it reaches as far as rock pools in the Mt Magnet–Yalgoo area, but not as far as Walga Rock near Cue ( Timms 2006, 2012).

There is also one record from the eastern side of the Nullarbor at Corrobinnae Rock on the northwest Eyre Peninsula ( Fig. 4 ). Why this population exists well isolated at this site and not anywhere else on this eastern side of the Nullarbor is a mystery. Despite my sampling of gnammas on both sides of the Nullarbor on the same field trip, the Corrobinnae site was not sampled before the shrimp was discovered there. Waterfowl rarely visit, so they are probably not responsible either for its presence there ( Timms 2014). Most likely, eggs were blown across from the western Nullarbor or from further west, but they have not reached other Eyre Peninsula sites from this outlier as winds prevail from the west and almost all studied Eyre Peninsula gnammas as west of this site ( Timms 2014). The possibility that they were once more widespread and have since gone extinct is less likely as the Nullarbor limestone has always been arid with virtually no pools ( Williams 1978).

Paralimnadia badia is a specialist inhabitant of pan gnammas and it has been found only rarely in other sites and then in pools nearby (e.g., Emu Rock east of Hyden, collection WAM C59568 above). It is present in such pans throughout most of the wet phase of the hydrological cycle in winter-spring (Timms 2012) and even appears in brief fillings after summer storms (W. Bayly, pers. comm.). Reproduction is by dioecy with mate guarding common ( Weeks et al. 2008; Benvenuto et al. 2009). Multiple hatching events within the one pool are not uncommon ( Benvenuto et al. 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of Australia showing distributions of all species with insert of details of Sydney region, especially for sites of P. stanyleyana.

FIGURE 5. Scanning electron micrographs of eggs of Paralimnadia stanleyana (A – E), P. sordida (F – H), Eulimnadia. rivolensis (I), P. badia (J – K) and P. cygnorum (L). Scale bars 0.1 mm. A, from Bundeena, NSW, AM P 98991; B, from Jerrawangala Lookout, NSW, AM P 98992; C, from Kanangra Walls, NSW, AM P 98990; D, from Mt Hay, NSW, AM P 98993; E, from Warrah Sanctuary, NSW, AM P 55644; F, from Maroubra, NSW, AM P 98995; G, from Williamtown, NSW, AM P 98996; H, from Elwood, Vic, NMVJ 207; I, from Campbelltown, Tas, AM P 55663; J, from Burracoppin, WA, AM P 98998; K, from Corrobinnae, SA, AM P 98997; L, from Serpentine, WA, WAM C 61744.

FIGURE 9. Paralimnadia badia (Wolf), AM P 98998. A – E male, F – H, female. A, carapace; B, head; C, telson, D, Ist clasper; E, 2 nd clasper; F, carapace, G, head, H, telson. Scale bars 1 mm.