Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography

We report the first record of the brine shrimp genus Artemia (Branchiopoda, Anostraca, Artemiidae) from Armenia, based on specimens collected in two saline ponds (collectively referred to as “Lake Aghi”) in the Yerevan area. Individuals were identified through an integrative approach combining morphological examination and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequencing. All examined specimens were females and exhibited morphological traits compatible with parthenogenetic Artemia, although these characters alone are not sufficient for a definitive identification. Molecular analyses revealed a single COI haplotype attributable to a parthenogenetic lineage widely distributed across the Palaearctic region and closely related to the sexual species A. amati. No evidence of the occurrence of the invasive species Artemia franciscana was found. A synopsis of the anostracan fauna of Armenia based on available literature is also provided. This finding broadens current knowledge of anostracan diversity and distribution in the South Caucasus region and highlights the need for further surveys to better characterize the large branchiopod fauna of the country.