Revealing the stygobiotic and crenobiotic molluscan biodiversity hotspot in Caucasus: Part I. The phylogeny of stygobiotic Sadlerianinae Szarowska, 2006 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae) from Georgia with descriptions of five new genera and twenty-one new species

• Published in: ZooKeys Vol. 955; no. 1; pp. 1 - 77
• Main Authors: Grego, Jozef, Mumladze, Levan, Falniowski, Andrzej, Osikowski, Artur, Rysiewska, Aleksandra, Palatov, Dimitry M, Hofman, Sebastian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 05-08-2020
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Discovery and exploration; EDTA; Faunistics & Distribution; Georgia; Hydrobiidae; Molecular systematics; Phylogeny; Taxonomy
• ISSN: 1313-2989; 1313-2970
• DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.955.51983

The position of the southwestern Caucasus as a stygobiotic Mollusca hotspot is confirmed. Molecular data of stygobiotic gastropods revealed the diversity of subfamily Sadlerianinae Szarowska, 2006, inhabiting the subterranean environment of Georgia. In addition to the well-known endemic genera Pontohoratia Vinarski, Palatov & Glöer, 2014 and Motsametia Vinarski, Palatov & Glöer, 2014, five more genera were identified in northwestern Georgia as new to the science: Kartvelobia gen. nov. , Imeretiopsis gen. nov. , Caucasopsis gen. nov. , Caucasogeyeria gen. nov. , and Hausdorfenia gen. nov. Additionally, 21 new species were found to inhabit the studied area (Samegrelo, Imereti, Racha regions in Georgia).