Morphometric features of Artemia spp. (crustacea: anostraca) from different types of hyperhaline lakes in the south of Western Siberia

New data on morphometric characteristics of branchipods crustaceans of the genus Artemia from 8 different types of hypergaline lakes in the south of Western Siberia (Altai Krai) are presented. Statistical analysis of morphometric characters of females and males of adult Artemia was performed to clarify the differences between populations. Measurements of body length showed clear differences between populations of crustaceans from hyperhaline lakes differing in the degree of water salinity from 41.2 (Lake Maloe Shklo) to 251.4 g/l (Lake Kuchukskoe). It was revealed that depending on the habitat conditions, the crustaceans change their size and shape. Furcal features were the most variable in females and males: furca length fl (females Cv = 43.69 %, males Cv = 25.47), number of bristles on the right sf-r and left furca sf-l (females Cv = 79.86 %; 81.21 %, males Cv = 28.56 %; 29.17 %) and the ratio of furca length to abdominal length fl/al (females Cv = 49.99 %, males Cv = 27.64). Based on morphometric indices, a dendrogram of similarity between parthenogenetic and bisexual Artemia populations in different types of hypergaline lakes was constructed. Cluster analysis made it possible to divide the studied populations into 3 groups, which inhabit lakes of different levels of water salinity. Correlation analysis of morphometric characters with water salinity was carried out. It is shown that the strongest correlations are characteristic for furcal indices, with the difference that in females the correlations are negative (fl: r = -0.54; p < 0,05), and in males - positive (fl: r = 0.53; p = 0,05).