Distribution and historical biogeography of Artemia leach, 1819 (Crustacea: Anostraca) in Ukraine

The study of brine shrimp in the Ukraine, formerly part of the Russian Empire and then the USSR, has a fairly long history. In the territory of Ukraine we can identify the following areas of potential Artemia habitats: the Crimean peninsula; the coastal zone of the NW Black Sea; the north coast of the Sea of Azov; Donetsk Oblast; Zakarpattia Oblast. Now it can be recognized that at least two bisexual species (A. salina and A. urmiana) and the partheno-genetic populations of Artemia dwell in the Ukraine. In some lakes (Koyashskoye, Terecly-Konradskoye) we found A. urmiana and parthenogens both, but separated in time. In the waters of the Crimea and NW part of the Black Sea brine shrimp are found under salinities from 10-20 (if no other animals present) to 350 - 370 ppt. Larvae and adults of some Coleoptera, Hemiptera, ostracods Eucypris inflata (Sars, 1903) and probably other invertebrates may eat away Artemia completely in the Crimean lakes whose salinity is below 60-110 ppt. Hydromeliorative, mining, construction and other human activities can both create new habitat for brine shrimp, as well as destroy the existing natural ones. Despite the fact that the largest habitats of Artemia in the past (Siwash, Donuzlav, Kyzyl-Yar) ceased to exist, in the Crimea and the NW Black Sea (Kuyalnik) still have water with very promising opportunities for industrial harvesting of Artemia cysts. Authors hypothesized that the study of populations of brine shrimp in the Crimea is the key to understanding the phylogeny and biogeography of Artemia.