Suggesting a new method for procurement samples to morphometrical study in the brine shrimp Artemia (Anostraca: Artemiidae)
Alireza Asem1, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani2, Naser Agh3
1. Protectors of Urmia Lake National Park Society (NGO), Urmia, IRAN
2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, 67149, Kermanshah, IRAN
3. Artemia & Aquatic Animals Research Center, Urmia University, Urmia, IRAN
Summary:
Artemia is a genus belonging to Anostraca which lives only in saline water. Artemia materials have been harvested from the samples that grow in the same laboratory conditions. If we accept that salty composition of the habitat can produce ecological isolation and can result in morphological and biometrical differences, accordingly we may suggest that the main mechanism of evolution in the genus Artemia is a kind of ecological speciation. Collecting Artemia samples from their natural habitat has priority to the materials growing in the same conditions in laboratory. The use of the horizontal conditions for all species and populations of Artemia deviates us from real and correct knowledge of the ecological speciation process. In addition, maybe two populations have significant differences in morphology, but same laboratory conditions make limited and disadvantageous conditions with ionic concentration and composition. Therefore two populations can not disclose their differentiation. This hypothesis is completely acceptable with regard to ecological concepts. Since long retention of Artemia field sample is difficult, because Artemia has a fragile body and short life cycle in natural habitat, also most habitats are temporary ponds and lagoons and if provision of samples are difficult, therefore each population must grow in general ionic conditions according to natural place with different salinity treatments. So, this method associates main evolution and speciation processes in nature. As the third step, we can use the same conditions but it must be arranged with different degrees of salinity. The fulfillment of the three above-mentioned steps may help to determine biosystematics and taxonomic status of the genus Artemia.
