Candelacypris ungulata, comb. nov.

(1) Candelacypris ungulata (Moniez, 1891) comb. nov. and Candelacypris aragonica (Brehm & Margalef, 1949) syn. nov. The new synonymy is based on the striking similarities in both morphology (carapace and appendages) and ecology between the two species. In particular, the second thoracic appendage (walking leg) carries two distal claws, a character which results from the reinforcement and increase in length of the distal seta h1. This is a unique character within the entire Eucypridinae, although two distal claws, resulting from either an enlarged h1 or h3, occur in some other ostracod groups, namely in the Australian Platycypris Herbst, 1959 and South-African Amphibolocypris Rome, 1965 (in the tribe Isocypridini Rome, 1965 in the Herpetocypridinae Kaufmann, 1900), Limanocypris Schornikov, 1961 (in subfamily Limanocypridinae Hartmann & Puri, 1974) from Siberia, and in Scottia (in S. pseudobrowniana Kempf, 1971 in subfamily Scottiinae Bronstein, 1947) (see Jocque et al. 2010). The ecology of Candelacypris ungulata (Moniez, 1891) comb. nov. and Candelacypris aragonica (Brehm & Margalef, 1949) syn. nov. is similar, both species having been exclusively reported from temporary salty inland waters. Also noteworthy is that upon first describing the species as Eucypris aragonica from Spain, Brehm & Margalef (1949) compared their new species with four species of the genus Eucypris, but not with Eucypris ungulata, from which it may be assumed that the authors were unaware of the previous description of Eucypris ungulata from North Africa by Gauthier (1928). The new synonymy implies the generic reassignment of Eucypris ungulata (Moniez, 1891) Gauthier 1928 to the genus Candelacypris Baltanás, 2001. Candelacypris ungulata comb. nov. is presently known from Algeria and Spain.