Grintsov V.A.1, Bondarenko L.V.1, Timofeev V.A.1, Simakova U.V.2 2024. Morphological and genetic identification of an invasive species of the genus Melita (Amphipoda: Melitidae) from the Azov–Black Sea basin // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.33. No.2. P.183–192 [in English].
1 A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russian Academy of Sciences.
2 Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences.
Vladimir Grintsov vgrintsov@gmail.com ORCID 0000-0002-9003-3054
Ludmila Bondarenko bondarenko.luda@gmail.com ORCID 0000-0003-4755-2593
Vitalii Timofeev Tamplier74@mail.ru ORCID 0000-0002-1112-7141
Ulyana Simakova yankazeisig@gmail.com ORCID 0000-0002-7250-2611
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.33.2.05
ABSTRACT. The species of the genus Melita that was found in the Kerch Strait is morphologically similar to M. setiflagella and M. nitida. A comparative analysis of the morphological parameters of 14 body parts with those in the known melitid amphipods M. setiflagella and M. nitida, and also those in a species identified as M. cf. setiflagella recorded from the Kerch Strait waters in March 2019, has shown that such character as setation of antennae 2 pair cannot be diagnostic at the species level and is probably a response of individuals to variations in their habitat conditions. According to the results of a genetic analysis, the species M. cf. setiflagella is actually M. nitida.
KEY WORDS: Amphipoda, Melita, biological invasions, genetic analysis, Azov–Black Sea basin, Kerch Strait.