identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
2FA8967B3DEC5677A61B7C20B83E39F6.text	2FA8967B3DEC5677A61B7C20B83E39F6.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Pseudocandona Kaufmann 1900	<div><p>Genus Pseudocandona Kaufmann, 1900</p><p>Diagnosis of the genus.</p><p>(modified after Namiotko and Danielopol 2004; Namiotko et al. 2014) Carapace variable in shape, from triangular to trapezoidal in lateral view. Surface of adult valves smooth or pitted and usually bearing long, stiff setae; presence of dense, long, stiff and perpendicularly attached setae on the valves; male second antenna (A 2) with penultimate podomere differentiated or not (when divided with male bristles); externo-distal seta (γ) on the penultimate podomere of the mandibular palp smooth (not plumose); branchial plate on maxilliped (T 1) rudimentary and set with 2 setae; protopodite of the cleaning leg (T 2) bearing 3 setae (d 1, d 2 and dp), penultimate segment lacking the medial seta (f) and terminal segment with 2 long and one short setae; Zenker’s organ with 7 rosettes of chitinous spikes; hemipenis with flat and weakly sclerotized M-process.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2FA8967B3DEC5677A61B7C20B83E39F6	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Rossetti, Giampaolo;Ștefan, Andrei;Motoc, Rozalia;Sarbu, Serban M.;Mazzini, Ilaria	Rossetti, Giampaolo, Ștefan, Andrei, Motoc, Rozalia, Sarbu, Serban M., Mazzini, Ilaria (2026): A new extremophile species of Pseudocandona (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from a sulfidic cave in Albania. Subterranean Biology 56: 137-159, DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.56.188589
E7E2B8823CC85B2785295E81B81E218C.text	E7E2B8823CC85B2785295E81B81E218C.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Pseudocandona sulphurella Rossetti & Ștefan & Motoc & Sarbu & Mazzini 2026	<div><p>Pseudocandona sulphurella sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Cp in lv with dorsal margin gently sloping towards anterior and a hump at the posterior third corresponding to the posterior cardinal angle; anterior and posterior margins evenly rounded, ventral margin gently arcuate. Valve surface smooth with long, stiff and perpendicularly attached setae. Hinge adont. Muscle scars typical of the genus. Vestibulum well developed on the anterior margin. Male A 2: penultimate segment subdivided, bearing male bristles; z 1 transformed into a long claw. Setal group of Md second podomere with three setae. T 2 with two ventral setae (g 1 and g 2) on penultimate segment.</p><p>Female genital lobe with triangular ventral margin, apex forming a mammilliform protrusion. Hemipenis: lobe a with distal margin fan-shaped; lobe h folded distally and with lateral rounded rostrum; lobe b with anterior digitiform expansion and posterior undulate margin.</p><p>Remark.</p><p>The living species of Pseudocandona are allocated to different species groups (see Discussion). Pseudocandona sulphurella sp. nov. belongs to the rostrata - group, which is characterized by carapaces that do not exhibit a distinctly trapezoidal or triangular outline in lateral view and setal group on the second podomere of the Md palp with three setae (Namiotko and Danielopol 2004).</p><p>Type material.</p><p>Holotype: • adult ♂ (MUST -GR 1072), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide (LV slightly damaged). Collected from the type locality on 26 April 2025.</p><p>Allotype: • adult ♀ (MUST -GR 1120), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, damaged valves stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide. Collected from the type locality on 17 October 2025.</p><p>Paratypes: • adult ♂ (MUST -GR 1091), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide (RV damaged); • adult ♂ (MUST -GR 1092), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves severely damaged and not retained; • adult ♂ (MUST -GR 1102), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves severely damaged and not retained; • adult ♂ (MUST -GR 1109), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide (RV damaged); • adult ♀ (MUST -GR 1101), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves slightly damaged stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide; • adult ♀ (MUST -GR 1121), soft parts dissected in glycerine and mounted on a sealed slide, valves severely damaged and not retained; • three adult whole specimens (sex undetermined), each stored dry in a micropalaeontological slide (MUST -GR 1122 –1124). MUST -GR 1072, MUST -GR 1091, MUST -GR 1092, MUST -GR 1101, MUST -GR 1102 and MUST -GR 1122 -1124 collected on 26 April 2025 from the type locality; MUST -GR 1109; MUST -GR 1120 and MUST -GR 1121 collected on 17 October 2025 from the type locality .</p><p>Note.</p><p>All the collected specimens had decalcified, fragile valves, which were partially or completely damaged during dissection. The observed valve decalcification is likely induced by the acidic conditions typical of sulfidic environments (Engel 2007, 2010).</p><p>Other material examined.</p><p>About 30 specimens (adults and juveniles) from the type locality, partly used for dissections and the remaining ones preserved in ethanol and stored in the ostracod collection of the first author. Eight adult specimens from the type locality used for SEM and stored in the R. M. laboratory at the National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest, Romania.</p><p>Type locality.</p><p>Albania, Langarica Canyon, “ <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=20.438654&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=40.244392" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 20.438654/lat 40.244392)">Breath of the Dragon Cave</a> ”, (40°14'39.81"N, 20°26'19.16"E), sulfidic subterranean stream, 26 April 2025 and 17 October 2025, S. M. Serbu leg., Albania.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The specific name sulphurella derives from the Latin noun sulphur (also spelled sulfur in later Latin), meaning “ sulphur ”. To this root is added the Latin diminutive suffix - ella, which conveys the sense of “ small ” or “ associated with ”.</p><p>Description.</p><p>Cp (Fig. 1 A – F). No evident sexual dimorphism in valve size or shape; L 1.09–1.13 mm for ♂♂ (n = 5), 1.06–1.09 mm for ♀♀ (n = 4). LV overlapping RV anteriorly and ventrally. In lateral view, dorsal margin with a hump at the posterior third and tapering anteriorly with a second gentle convexity; posterior margin more inflated than anterior margin, both evenly rounded; ventral margin slightly undulate. Valve surface smooth with weak reticulate texture visible in transmitted light, covered by rimmed pores bearing long setae, denser along the margins; inner calcified lamella wide anteriorly, distinctly narrower posteriorly. Colour brownish.</p><p>A 1 (Figs 1 F, 2 A, 4 A, 6 A). Seven-segmented. First segment enlarged and stout, with two setae on dorsal margin and two long setae in ventro-apical position. Second and third segments with one dorso-apical seta. Fourth and fifth segments with two long dorso-apical setae and one short ventro-apical seta. Sixth segment with four apical setae. Final segment distally bearing two long and one short setae and aesthetasc ya.</p><p>A 2 (Figs 1 F, 2 B, 2 C, 4 A, 6 B). Cx with two dorsal setae; Ba with a long ventro-apical seta; Ex with one long and two short setae, the innermost with a broadened base; first endopodal segment with tripartite aesthetasc Y along the dorsal margin and two unequal dorso-apical setae; in ♂, second endopodal segment subdivided, seta t 1 long, setae t 2 and t 3 transformed into male bristles, seta t 4 tiny; z 1 a long claw, setae z 2 and z 3 short; claws G 1 and G 2 subequal and about half length of G 3; terminal segment with claw GM about 1.8 × the length of Gm. In ♀, second endopodal segment undivided, setae z 2 and z 3 short and z 1 claw-like with tip slightly exceeding the next segment, G 2 about half-length of G 1, GM and Gm similar in length and approximately three times longer than terminal segment.</p><p>Md (Figs 1 F, 4 A – C) with a four-segmented palp, a coxa and a branchial plate as typical for the subfamily; second segment of palp bearing a group of three long setae as in the rostrata - group of Pseudocandona .</p><p>Mx 1 (Figs 1 F, 4 A – C) as typical of subfamily, consisting of an undivided protopodite, a two-segmented palp (endopodite), three endites, and a branchial plate (exopodite). First segment of palp with three long dorso-apical setae and an additional ventro-apical seta at the insertion of the second segment; second segment short, rectangular, bearing six apical setae of unequal length.</p><p>T 1 (Figs 1 F, 3 A, 3 B, 4 A – D, 4 E, 6 C). In ♂, palps strongly asymmetric; right palp swollen and rounded proximally with two robust ventral setae, tapering distally and ending with a minute seta; left palp sickle-shaped, bearing two ventral setae, distal part slender and with a tiny terminal seta. ♀ palp consisting of first two endites fused and short distal endite terminating with three setae.</p><p>T 2 (Figs 1 F, 3 C, 4 A, 5 A). First segment with seta d 1; second and third segments bearing respectively seta e and f in ventro-apical position; fourth segment ventro-apically with seta g 1 surpassing the margin of the following segment and minute seta g 2; terminal segment with seta h 1 slightly shorter than segment itself, h 2 a robust claw approximately equal in length to combined last three segments and armed in the distal half with a series of strong spines, except for a short terminal portion, seta h 3 very reduced and about half the length of h 1.</p><p>T 3 (Figs 1 F, 3 D, 4 A, 6 D) five-segmented. First segment bearing long setae d 1, d 2 and dp; second and third segments without setae; fourth segment with seta g slightly longer than the segment itself; terminal segment with short h 1, h 2 a claw conspicuously setulate on the central third, h 3 a long, robust seta, finely plumose on the distal two-thirds.</p><p>CR (Figs 1 F, 3 E, 4 A, 5 B) slightly curved and more expanded proximally; Sa and Sp in a 3: 10 ratio; Ga and Gp subequal, about half the length of the ramus, with strong spines absent only on the basal portions and at the apices of claws.</p><p>Hemipenis (Figs 3 F, 4 A, 5 C, 5 D) very large. Outer lobe (a) elongate and widening distally, with slightly chitinized, fan-shaped margin; medial lobe (b) enveloping inner lobe (h), with a digitiform expansion directed toward lobe a and, on the opposite side, a slightly convex margin; lobe h with a sinuous distal margin, partially folded back, and producing a rounded lateral bulge. M-process elongate, slightly swollen at the proximal extremity and crescent-shaped in the distal part. Bursa copulatrix rounded proximally and beak-shaped distally.</p><p>Zenker’s organ (Figs 3 G, 4 A) cylindrical, with seven whorls of spines.</p><p>Female genital lobe (Figs 1 F, 6 E) ventral margin approximately triangular in shape, bearing a papilliform protuberance.</p><p>Eye not visible.</p><p>Differential diagnosis.</p><p>Pseudocandona hartwigi is the species of the rostrata - group whose valve morphology and dimensions most closely resemble those of Pseudocandona sulphurella sp. nov., although they differ chiefly in the dorsal margin. Moreover, P. sulphurella sp. nov. possesses a unique combination of morphological characters that readily distinguish it from all other known species of the genus, including the chaetotaxy of the last two segments of A 2, the third endite of the female T 1 palp not fused with the preceding endites, the presence of two ventro-apical setae on the fourth segment of T 2, the distinctive morphology of the female genital segment, and, in particular, the structure of the hemipenis.</p><p>Molecular analysis.</p><p>Six sequences of Pseudocandona sulphurella sp. nov. were obtained for COI, with a length of 647 bp, all belonging to the same haplotype (GenBank accession number: PX 867593) and three sequences were obtained for 28 S rDNA, with a length of 443 bp, all belonging to the same haplotype (GenBank accession number: PX 866513). The COI phylogeny (Fig. 7) and p-distances suggest that P. sulphurella sp. nov. is closest to P. marchica (p-distance = 0.150) and P. hartwigi (p-distance = 0.151). For 28 S, the lowest p-distance value was recorded between P. sulphurella sp. nov. and Fabaeformiscandona kushiroensis (p-distance = 0.062), but it clusters together with Pseudocandona sp. (p-distance = 0.091) on a moderately-supported clade in the 28 S phylogeny (Fig. 8). All three species delimitation tests clearly distinguish P. sulphurella sp. nov. as a distinct species.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E7E2B8823CC85B2785295E81B81E218C	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Rossetti, Giampaolo;Ștefan, Andrei;Motoc, Rozalia;Sarbu, Serban M.;Mazzini, Ilaria	Rossetti, Giampaolo, Ștefan, Andrei, Motoc, Rozalia, Sarbu, Serban M., Mazzini, Ilaria (2026): A new extremophile species of Pseudocandona (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from a sulfidic cave in Albania. Subterranean Biology 56: 137-159, DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.56.188589
