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A key to the common seed shrimp (Crustacea: Ostracoda) of the playa lakes of the Llano Estacado region of northwestern Texas.

Article Excerpt
Playa lakes of the Southern High Plains represent one of the more unique inland aquatic habitats of North America and have received considerable attention due to both their unusual biological and physical characteristics (Reeves 1966; Rowell 1971; Home 1974; Osterkamp & Wood 1987; Proctor 1990; Smith 2003; Haukos & Smith 2004). Due to the temporary nature of these habitats, they are characterized by periods of intermittent drying and wetting, and undergo wide fluctuations in physical and chemical conditions (Reeves 1966; Sublette & Sublette 1967; MacKay et al. 1990).

Faunal diversity of several playas of eastern New Mexico and western Texas has been studied by Sublette & Sublette (1967) and MacKay et al. (1990). Playas are typically dominated by crustaceans during the early stages of the recharge cycle (one to four weeks) and by insects during the later stages. The crustacean fauna include members of the Branchiopoda (clam shrimp, fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp), Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda, all of which have eggs or larval stages that are resistant to desiccation and extreme temperatures. Because of the temporary and unpredictable nature of the playa wet phase, crustacean inhabitants can be considered as fugitive species (Hutchinson 1951). Eggs must hatch, larvae develop, and adults reproduce in a few days or weeks before the playa dries.

The ostracod component in playas often differ significantly (Horne 1996). Because of their infrequent encounter, small size and overall similarity in appearance, they are often unreported or remain unidentified and listed only as "ostracods" or "ostracod species" (Merickel & Wangberg 1981; MacKay et al. 1990). However, ostracods often represent an important biotic component of playas of this region of northwest Texas. Most freshwater species are cosmopolitan in distribution (Tressler 1947; 1954;...

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