Natura Croatica Issue number: Natura Croatica, Vol. 10 No.3

Prvi nalaz živih stigobiontnih školjkaša Congeria u području Like, Hrvatska

Authors: Branko Jalžić

Authors and affiliation

  • Branko Jalžić Croatian Biospeleological Society (CBSS), Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

By the side of the three already known separate populations of relic stygobiont bivalves of the genus Congeria in the Dinaric karst (Bela Krajina /Slovenia/, western Bosnia /Bosnia and Herzegovina/ and Dalmatia-Herzegovina /Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina/) a new population has been found in the underground area of North Velebit, in the drain part of the Lika River, Croatia. After the discovery of part of a shell on the bottom of Lukina Jama pit (–1392 m deep), thousands of specimens of Congeria have been found in Markov Ponor, all the way through more than 1700 m of underground tunnels. As well as a list of associated fauna, a description is provided of some of the ecological factors of the biotope whose temperature reaches a maximum of +6 °C, the lowest temperature in the habitats known.

Keywords

stygobiont bivalve, Dreissenidae, Congeria, new locality, Lika River, Croatia