203
Hydrobiologia 318: 203-206, 1996.
@ 1996 Kluwer Academic Publi.fher.f. Printed in Belgium. Published online with kind permission.
Rediscovery of Leptestheria dahalacensis and Eoleptestheria ticinensis
(Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata): an overview on presence
and conservation of clam shrimps in Austria
WalteT
Hödl & ErichEder
Institut ftir Zoologie der Universität
Wien, Althanstr: 14, A- I 090 Wien, Austria
Received 26 October 1994; in revised form 9 March 1995; accepted 30 March 1995
Key words: Spinicaudata, Leptestheria, Eoleptestheria, Austria, rediscovery, conservation
Abstract
Aceording to recent literature, five of the six known Austrian 'conchostracan' speciesare extinct. However, interim
results of a current study on large freshwater branchiopods in Austria show that five species still occur at a
restricted number of sites in the Pannonian region of Lower Austria. The clam shrimps Leptestheria dahalacensis
and Eoleptestheria ticinensis were rediscovered in May 1994 in the flood plains of the river Morava near Marchegg.
Imnadiayeyetta and Cyzicus tetracerus have been known to the authors in the same region since 1981, and 1992,
respectively. Limnadia lenticularis occurs in the flood plains of the rivers Morava and Danube.
Lynceus brachyurus, the only Austrian representative ofthe Laevicaudata, was not found and most probably got
extinct. All Austrian clam shrimp species are considered to be endangered.Main threats are agricultural activities
and artificial changes of the hydrologic conditions. Conservational measuresare discussed tor their effectivity.
Introduction
The historic documentation on the distribution of clam
shrimps ('conchostracans', i.e. orders Spinicaudata
and Laevicaudata) in Austria has remained fragmentary, mainly due to their temporary occurrence. Up
to now, only few systematic and faunistic investigations have been performed (Vornatscher, 1968; Hödl
& Rieder, 1993).
Six 'conchostracan' species were reported from
Austria (Vornatscher, 1968, see Table 1). All records
are situated exclusively in the Pannonian region.
Recently, with the exception ofLimnadia lenticularis
(L.), tour were reported to be extinct and one species
to be most probably extinct in Austria (Löffler, 1993:
173, Table 2). However, Imnadia yeyetta Hertzog and
Cyzicus tetracerus (Krynicki) have been found regularly (since 1981 and 1992, respectively) in the flood
plains of the March-river (Morava) near Marchegg
(Hödl & Rieder, 1993; Hödl, 1994; Hödl & Eder,
unpubl.). Eoleptestheria ticinensis (Balsamo-Crivelli)
was reported by Vornatscher (1968) to be most probably extinct. This author knew only one Austrian
site of this species in the 10th district of Vienna,
where urbanization bad already extirpated the population. The latest specimen in the NHMW collection
(Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna) dates from 1879
(NHMW Crustacea collection, 1879.1.84). The latest
record of Leptestheria dahalacensis (Rüppell) exists
from 1975 (private collection H. Palme, Neureisenberg, pers. obs.), at a site near{he river Leitha that has
never been flooded since then. Lynceus brachyurus
Müller, Austria's only representative of the Laevicaudata, was last found by Vornatscher in 1970 in the
flood plains of the Morava (NHMW Crustacea collection, Aquis. No. 1948.XXI.1).
The distribution of large freshwater branchiopods
(Anostraca, Notostraca, Spinicaudata, Laevicaudata)
in Eastern Austria is current1ybeing investigated (Eder
& Hödl, unpubl.). All habitats known from literature
were revisited. Additionally, astatic water bodies formerly unknown tor large branchiopod occurrence were
screenedinthePannonianlowlandsofEasternAustria.
This paper presents preliminary results of our survey
andanoverviewofknownclamshrimprecordsinAustria.
204
Table1. Currentstatusof Austrian 'conchostracans'.
*: CO.ld
watet species
t: mostprobablyextinct in Austria
t: endangeredin Austria
V: rediscoveredfür Austria in 1994
Taxon
Region
Present
habitats
Extinct
habitats
total
0
9
Morava
Danube
others
0
0
0
4
1
4
total
3
4
Morava
others
3
0
0
4
total
2
18
Seewinkel
Morava
Danube
others
0
2
0
0
2
3
II
2
total
1
1
Morava
others
1
0
0
1
total
5 (+21)
4 (+21)
Reasonfür local extirpation
LAEVICAUDATA
Lynceidae
Lynceu.fbrachyuru.fMüller,
1776t
unclear
urbanization
roadconstruction(3)
urbanization(I)
SPINICAUDATA
Cyzicidae
CYZiCU.f
tetracerU.f(Krynicki,
1830)*t
Leptestheriidae
Lepte.ftheriadahalacen.fis
(Rüppell,
1837)
roadconstruction(3)
urbanization(I)
tv
Eolepte.ftheriaticinen.fis
unclear
agriculture
hydrologicchanges(dam)
urbanization(I)
afforestation(I)
(Baisamo-Crivelli,1859)tv
Limnadiidae
Limnadia lenticulari.f(Linnaeus,
urbanization
1761)t
Seewinkeil
1
Morava
3
Danube
1 (+ 11)
1mnadiayeyettaHertzog,1935
0
21
3
others
total
0
3 (+21)
1
5 (+11)
Seewinkel
Morava
Danube
others
0
3
0
21
11
0
5
0
agriculture
urbanization(2)
hydrologicchanges(dam)
urbanization
(*)t
unclear
hydrologicchanges(dam)
205
0
Rediscoveries
MARCIIEGG
8,\"""0'-
Two yet unreportedlocalities were found that containedtwo clampshrimpspecies,thoughtto be extinct
since 1879and 1975,respectively.
Eoleptestheria
ticinensis
andLeptestheria
dahalawere
rediscoveredat
the 'Blumengang'
nearMarkthof
censis(both identified accordingto Straskraba,1966)
@
..N
r./)
t'"
./
(16 °58'00" E, 48 °10'42" N; see Fig. 1), in May
1994, in the flood plains near the mouth region of
0
0
the March-river (Morava). Both species co-occurred
togetherwith Cyzicustetracerusand the notostracan
SCIILOSSIIOF
Triopscancriformis(Bosc).The shallowlake covered
an approximateareaof 3.5 ha (700m x 50 m) andbad
a maximum depth of 50 cm. High wateTof the river
Danubecausedflooding in April 1994 which lasted
until the last week of June1994.
Leptestheriadahalacensiswasfound in two small
neighbouring
astaticLüsse'
pools near
of the
Morava's flood
plain at the 'Lange
Marchegg-Bahnhof
~
0
~
~
"f.
..-
(16 °56'12" E, 48 °14'23" N; seeFig. 1), whereit cooccurredwith Limnadia lenticularis, lmnadia yeyetta
and Triops cancriformis. The pools were flooded by
the Lower Morava, dammedup due to the high wateT
level ofthe Danubein April 1994.Thesesitesfell dry
at the end ofMay 1994.
Specimensof the found specieswere depositedin
the NHMW Crustaceacollection (cataloguenumbers
10389to 10396).
~
Presentoccurrenceof clam shrimps in Austria
Consideringthe actualdataon 'conchostracan'distribution,
only
most
probably
gotLynceus
extinctbrachyurus
in Austria.(Laevicaudata)
All spinicaudatan
species
region
of
. .werereportedfrom.the Pannonian
.
. 1 km
, .
F 1
19..
'
A tn.
I al' t '
us an oc lies 0f
Austrla In 1994,from a restrlctednumberof sltesonly
the CIarn shrifipS E0Iepte.~thena
ticinen.~i.~
(1) andLepte.~theria
dahalacen.~is
(1.2).1: 'Blumengang'.
(see Table 1).
2: 'LangeLüsse'.
Threats
In spite of their ability to produce drought-resistant
resting eggs (Wiggings et al., 1980), all Austrian clam
shrimps have to be considered as endangered.Most of
the current main threats to conchostracan diversity are
listed by Löffler (1993).
Agricultural development is a major causefür physical destruction of habitats. Wetlands and swamps are
either drained or filled up with substrate. This development is currently threatening many of the shallow pools
along the Morava (pers. obs.). Moreover, the excessive
use of groundwater für irrigation lowers the groundwateT lable. The impact of fertilizers, herbicides, and
pesticides is difficult to estimate; most probably the
cold wateT species are affected more than the aestival species due to their lower resistance to salinity
(pers. obs.). However, decreasing agricultural activities (most possibly causedby Austria's membership in
the European Community) may lead to the extirpation
of habitats as weil. Without a regular cut, meadows will
206
turn into forests,andexposureto sunlightnecessary
für
aestivalspeciesis lost (Rieder,1989).
A major reasonfür the local extirpation of clam
shrimp habitatsare changesof the hydrologic conditions (seeTable 1). The main reasonfür thesechanges
arethedamsof newhydroelectricplantsat theDanube,
cuttingoff former astaticpoolsfrom river inundations.
A still pendingthreat is the plannedpower stationat
the Danubenear Wolfsthai, six kilometersdownriver from the mouth of the Morava (Wagner& Gayl,
1988).Its dam would considerablychangethe water
level dynamics.Since 1989, the storagelakes of the
river Thaya in SouthernMoravia near Nove Mlyny
strongly affect the hydrologic dynamicsof the Morava, levelling the highest peaks(Marschitz & Käfel,
unpubl. study, 1993). As a consequence,
the regular
inundationsof the astaticpools alongthe March-river
areno longer guaranteed.
Urbanizationtook part in local extinction of conchostracans
in thecity ofVienna,hut playsa minorrole
in the easternmostpartsof Austria, wherehumanpopulation hagbeendecreasingduring the latestdecades
(Österreichisches
Stastisches
Zentralamt,1992).Litter
disposalis a problemdifficult to predict,hut not endangering any known conchostracanhabitat at present
(pers.0bs.) .
.
h
m
most
ot
.
er
1
specles,
h
c
am
s
.
.
nmp
can
.
and
the
Bern
ConventIon
of
1979.
However,
the
status of protection hag not been effectively executed
in practice (Farasin & Lazowski, 1990).
S f
.
th
f th k own tem
.
..
d
with high 'conchostracan' dlverslty IS protecte ; flor
any of the species listed above can be found in the
p
0
ar,
fiel
er
any
0
e
or
ary
P
ools
n
AustrianRedDataBookofEndangeredSpecies
(Gepp,
1984). The Red Data B00k has no .,
f1 b t
.
. lorce 0 aw' u can
be used für conservatIon planmng purposes and provides an accepted basis für conservational procedure.
Both objectives, listing of threatenedclam shrimps and
.
f .
h b.t t
. d b th
protectIon 0 Important a 1 a s are now alme y e
authors.
The 'Blumengang'
site (1 in Fig. 1) is federal prop-
erty. Recently the authors proposed natural protection
Dur investigationson the statusof large freshwater
branchiopodsin the two provincesLower Austria and
Burgenlandare supportedby the Provincial Governmentsof Lower Austria (department11/3)andBurgenland (departmentIV).
References
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K. & W. Lazowski.
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I.
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österreichischer
Grüne
protectIon
only be achieved by habitat protection. The wetlands
of Danube and Morava are protected under the Ramsar
ConventionofI971,aCouncil-of-Europeresolutionof
1975,
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Conservation
As
endangeredhabitats.However,in the caseof private
property,as is the 'Lange Lüsse' (2 in Fig. 1), legal
protectionsometimesfacessevereproblems.Without
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direct collaborationwith the local farmersis intended
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clam shrimphabitats.
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