On the changing ecology of Venice lagoon

The amplexial morphology of representative species from all anostracan families is described. Males of the Polyartemiidae and Artemiidae amplex the female's brood pouch. Males of all other families amplex the female's body between the brood pouch and the last pair of legs: a region referred to herein as the `amplexial groove.' The amplexial groove in females of Streptocephalus, Thamnocephalus, Dendrocephalus, Branchinella, and the Branchipodidae is unornamented and females are not separable among the species. Females in the genus Parartemia and the families Chirocephalidae and Linderiellidae have morphological characters within their amplexial region that complement the ornamentation of the male's second antennae, creating a `lock and key' fit unique to each species.