Bahadzia bozanici

Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Malacostraca
Order Amphipoda
Family Hadziidae

Bahadzia bozanici Holsinger, 1992

Taxonomic Characterization: Small to medium-sized amphipod lacking eyes and pigment. Easily distinguishable from other species in the genus by having more numerous facial setae on inner plate of maxilla 2 and numerous long setae on posterior margin of segment 6 of pereiopod 6. A key to the genus is presented in Jaume & Wagner, 1998.

Disposition of Specimens: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution catalog number USNM 239475; Zoölogisch Museum, Amsterdam; and in the private collection of John Holsinger.

Ecological Classification: Stygobitic

Size: Largest males to 5.0 mm; largest females to 6.0 mm

Number of Species in Genus: Eleven (10 anchialine and 1 freshwater), all stygobitic

Bahamas:
- Cat Island: B. obliqua Stock, 1986
- Grand Bahama: B. williamsi Holsinger, 1985
- Abaco: B. williamsi Holsinger, 1985
- South Andros: B. setimana Stock, 1986
Caicos Islands:
- Providenciales: B. stocki Holsinger, 1985
Cayman Islands:
- Grand Cayman: B. caymanensis Sawicki & Holsinger, 2004
Cuba: B. yagerae Ortiz & Perez, 1995 and B. patilarga Sawicki, Holsinger, Ortiz & Perez, 2003
Dominican Republic: B. jaraguensis Jaume & Wagner, 1998
Haiti: B. latipalpus Stock, 1985
Mexico:
- Isla Cozumel: B. bozanici Holsinger, 1992 and B. setodactylus Holsinger, 1992
- Yucatan Peninsula: B. bozanici Holsinger, 1992

Genus range for Bahadzia

Species Range: B. bozanici inhabits one cave (Cenote Carwash) on the mainland near Tulum and two (Cueva Quebrada and Cenote Aereolita) on the island of Cozumel (Holsinger, 1992).

Closest Related Species: B. bozanici and B. setodactylus appear to be sister taxa that evolved from a common ancestor (Holsinger 1992).

Habitat: Anchialine limestone caves

Ecology: Specimens from Cueva Quebrada were collected below a halocline in mesohaline waters (19 ppt salinity) at 2-4 m depth and were commonly observed. Those from Aereolita Cenote were taken from ceiling pockets in brackish/marine waters above a halocline, while in Carwash Cenote specimens were collected below a halocline (35 ppt salinity) at 21-23 m depth (Holsinger, 1992).

Life History: Only two of approximately 60 female specimens were ovigerous. A 5.5 mm female carried two large embryos, while a 6.0 mm specimen had three (Holsinger, 1992).

Evolutionary Origins: The genus Bahadzia is most closely allied phylogenetically with Mayaweckelia and Tuluweckelia from the Yucatan Peninsula (Holsinger, 1992). Of these three genera, Bahadzia represents the most recent cave colonization event, thought to have occurred during the middle to late Pleistocene. B. bozanici is believed to be close to the putative ancestral species that independently and simultaneously colonized caves on both Cozumel and the mainland (Holsinger, 1992). B. setodactylus, inhabiting an adjacent but apparently separate aquifer system on Cozumel, has diverged to a greater degree.

Conservation Status: Limited distribution from caves on the Yucatan mainland near Tulum and from the island of Cozumel.

References:

Holsinger, J.R. 1992. Two new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Bahadzia (Hadziidae) from the Yucatan Peninsula region of southern Mexico, with an analysis of phylogeny and biogeography. Stygologia, 7:85-105.
Holsinger, J.R. and J. Yager. 1985. A new genus and two new species of subterranean amphipod crustaceans (Hadziidae) from the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 55(2):283-294.
Jaume, D. and H.P. Wagner 1998. New cave-dwelling amphipods (Lysianassidae, Hadziidae) from the Dominican Republic (Hispaniola). Contributions to Zoology, 68(1):37-66 19 figures.
Ortíz, M.R. and A. Pérez. 1995. Una nueva especie de anfipodo cavernícola hadzioideo (Amphipoda, Gammaridea) de Cuba. Graellsia, 51:165-168.
Stock, J.H. 1985. Stygobiont amphipod crustaceans of the Hadzioid group form Haiti. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 55:331-426.
Stock, J.H. 1986. Two new amphipod crustaceans of the genus Bahadzia from 'blue holes' in the Bahamas and some remarks on the origin of the insular stygofaunas of the Atlantic. Journal of Natural History, 20:921-933, 5 figures.