Taybi A.F.1, Glöer P.2, Mabrouki Y.3* 2024. Description of Berkanella selouensis gen. et sp.n., a new subterranean snail from Morocco and redescription of Islamia tifertiensis Glöer, Mabrouki, et Taybi, 2020 (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.21. No.2: 147–156 [in English].
1 Mohammed First University, Multidisciplinary Faculty of Nador, Applied Biology and Biotechnology Research Team, Morocco.
2 Schulstr. 3, D-25491 Hetlingen, Germany.
3 Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty of Sciences, Dhar El Mehraz, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Conservation and Valorization of Natural Resources, Fes Morocco.
*Corresponding author
A. Fouzi Taybi a.taybi@ump.ac.ma ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-5407
Peter Glöer gloeer@malaco.de ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6995-3641
Youness Mabrouki youness.mabrouki@usmba.ac.ma ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7336-8717
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.21.2.03
ABSTRACT: Recent studies on freshwater gastropods of the family Hydrobiidae from Morocco have led to a number of discoveries of new taxa. New field studies in the oriental region of Morocco have led to the discovery of living specimens of Islamia tifertiensis Glöer, Mabrouki, et Taybi, 2020, previously described only on the basis of empty shells. The study of the new fresh material led to the discovery of a new genus of valvatiform stygobionts, its redescription and assignment to a new genus as Berkanella tifertiensis gen. et comb.n. In addition, another stygobiont species belonging to the same new genus was discovered, i.e. Berkanella selouensis sp.n. described and illustrated here.
KEY WORDS: hydrobiid snails; Triffa aquifer; stygobiont snail; new genus; freshwater gastropods; endemism; North Africa; groundwater.