Amsterdam Expeditions to the West Indian Islands, Report 36. The genus Strandesia and other Cypricercini (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in the West Indies. Part II. Carapace length, ecology, and distribution of two Strandesia species

The distribution and ecology of two species of Strandesia, s. longula Broodbakker, 1983, and S. stocki Broodbakker, 1983, are discussed. Both species are very common in Haiti, and S. longula is also common in the Bahamas. Both are found on some of the Lesser Antilles, and therefore they are assumed to have a much wider distribution. The two species are mostly found in fresh water, but they can tolerate chlorinities up to 3500 mg/l. No preferences concerning other factors could be found. Both species live in wells, pools, and in the underflow of running waters. Differences in carapace length of different populations could not be correlated with any environmental factor measured. These length differences do not appear to be determined genetically. It is most probable that differences in carapace length are caused by combined environmental factors, like food abundance, pollution, and factors of water chemistry other than chlorinity, as postulated for the genera Heterocypris and Hemicypris.