Lakatnik Protelsonia
Protelsonia lakatnicensis (Buresh & Gueorguiev, 1962)
Order Asellota
Family Stenasellidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Critically endangered CR [1 a,b].
General distribution. Bulgaria.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. A local endemic occurring in the Temnata dupka cave [1, 2]. There are no data of its numbers.
Habitats. A stygobiont, it inhabits flowing underground cave waters.
Biology. Unstudied. One of the largest crustaceans in the underground waters of Bulgaria whose length of the body reaches 2 centimeters.
Similar species. Protelsonia bureschi, also inhabiting cave flowing waters in the Western Stara Planina Mts. P. lakatnicensis differs from it by the shorter exopodite of the fourth pair of pleopods from the corresponding endopodite; the exopodite of the fifth pair of pleopods is whole.
Negative factors. Pollution of waters in the catchment's area of the karstic system of the Temnata dupka cave near the railway station of Lakatnik.
Conservation measures taken. The Temnata dupka cave near Lakatnik railway station is within the territory of the Vrachanski Balkan Natural Park.
Conservation measures needed. Control on the emission of domestic waste waters in the settlements situated in the catchment area of the cave river; restricted use of artificial fertilizers and other chemicals in the agricultural activity of the population from the village of Gubislav and the neighbouring quarters.
References. 1. Buresch, Gueorguiev, 1962; 2. Pandourski, Breskovski, 1995.
Author: Ivan Pandurski
