Macaronesia, with the exception of the Azores, is one of the few Palearctic provinces where basic taxonomic information on the freshwater copepods is still lacking. We redescribed Eucyclops azorensis, a cyclopid crustacean so far known only in the Azores, and report the occurrence of this species in Algeria and Madeira Island. Eucyclops azorensis was formerly considered to be a subspecies of E. agiloides (East Africa); therefore, the latter species is redescribed here as well based on type and non-type material. Morphological comparisons between E. azorensis, E. agiloides and other taxa (E. serrulatus and E. roseus), assumed to be closely related to our target species, support a closer relationship between E. azorensis and E. serrulatus (Palearctic) than between E. azorensis and E. agiloides (Afrotropical). The slight differences between E. azorensis and E. serrulatus in the surface ornamentation of the antennal coxobasis and intercoxal sclerites of legs 1 and 4 suggest a relatively young separation of these lineages. Eucyclops agiloides is morphologically close to E. roseus (temperate and subtropical Asia, southeastern Europe, East Africa). The numerous and clear-cut differences indicate a species rather than subspecies-level differentiation between E. agiloides and E. roseus, unlike what was formerly proposed in the taxonomic literature.

An annotated checklist of the Algerian Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda)

A new species of Chirocephalus collected in temporary freshwater ponds in Northeastern Algeria is described. Chirocephalus sanhadjaensis sp. nov. seems to be restricted to Ain-Magroun and Belkroun pools (Skikda Province). The most similar species is C. marchesonii Ruffo & Vesentini, 1957, which is endemic to Italy. The new taxon, belonging to the “diaphanus” species group of the genus Chirocephalus, is identifiable from all congeners primarily by the shape of the antennal appendages and that of the apex of the distal antennomere of the antennae. The resting eggs of C. sanhadjaensis sp. nov. are similar to those of C. diaphanus or C. salinus but are larger (448.24 ± 30.93 µm). The restricted distribution of this species confirms the high biological diversity of the area of the Guerbes-Sanhadja eco-complex.

The first substantiated record of Branchinecta orientalis in Algeria is here reported. This species was found in a small freshwater pool (Jemot) in Oum El Bouaghi province, located in the High Plateaus of the Aurès region in North-East of Algeria. Details on biogeography, ecology and morphology of this Algerian population of the species are provided. In its Algerian occurrence locality, B. orientalis co-occurs mostly with Branchinecta ferox during autumn and spring but also with other large Branchiopoda with a maximum of 7 species occurring synchronically and 9 species in total.

Between 2017 and 2018, in order to complete the list of the Algerian freshwater ostracods, 62 water bodies were sampled across the Sahara and the semi-arid High Plains. The physico-chemical parameters (salinity, temperature and pH) were measured, and the coordinates of the sites, their surface area and altitude were also recorded. A total of 24 ostracod species were identified, belonging to 4 different families (Darwinulidae, Ilyocyprididae, Cyprididae and Cytherideidae). The maximum number of species in a single site was six. The most common species was Heterocypris incongruens (24 records). Three species are new to Algeria: Darwinula stevensoni, Oncocypris muelleri and Candelacypris aragonica. The ecology of the new and the most common species is discussed. Moreover, in order to evaluate the relationship between the distribution of ostracods and environmental parameters (pH, salinity and temperature), a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed. The first two axes of the CCA diagram explain 92.97% of the cumulative variance of the relationship between species and physico-chemical parameters of the sites.