Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography 31 (2016): 27–53 Updated checklist and distribution of large branchiopods (Branchiopoda: Anostraca, Notostraca, Spinicaudata) in Tunisia FEDERICO MARRONE1,*, MICHAEL KORN2, FABIO STOCH3, LUIGI NASELLI- FLORES1, SOUAD TURKI4 1 Dept. STEBICEF, University of Palermo, via Archirafi, 18, I-90123 Palermo, Italy 2 Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustr. 252, D-78464 Konstanz & DNA-Laboratory, Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Königsbrücker Landstrasse 159, D- 01109 Dresden, Germany 3 Dept. of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, I-67100 Coppito, L'Aquila, Italy 4 Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Rue du 02 mars 1934, 28, T-2025 Salammbô, Tunisia * e-mail corresponding author:
[email protected] Keywords: Branchinectella media, fauna of Maghreb, freshwater crustaceans, Mediterranean temporary ponds, regional biodiversity. SUMMARY Temporary ponds are the most peculiar and representative water bodies in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world, where they often represent diversity hotspots that greatly contribute to the regional biodiversity. Being indissolubly linked to these ecosystems, the so-called “large branchiopods” are unanimously considered flagship taxa of these habitats. Nonetheless, updated and detailed information on large branchiopod faunas is still missing in many countries or regions. Based on an extensive bibliographical review and field samplings, we provide an updated and commented checklist of large branchiopods in Tunisia, one of the less investigated countries of the Maghreb as far as inland water crustaceans are concerned. We carried out a field survey from 2004 to 2012, thereby collecting 262 crustacean samples from a total of 177 temporary water bodies scattered throughout the country.