Many interstitial species were first described as widely distributed, often cosmopolitan or
amphi-oceanic, contrasting with descriptions of a sedentary life style and the general …

Owing to technical problems and difficult taxonomic identification, meiofauna have been
generally less studied than macrofauna. However, the role of meiofauna in marine …

For many years, Paramacrobiotus richtersi was reported to consist of populations with
different chromosome numbers and reproductive modes. To clarify the relationships among …

Background Biogeographical and macroecological principles are derived from patterns of
distribution in large organisms, whereas microscopic ones have often been considered …

Background Reliable taxonomic identification at the species level is the basis for many
biological disciplines. In order to distinguish species, it is necessary that taxonomic …

The taxonomic uncertainty surrounding cryptic species complexes has traditionally been
resolved using lengthy experimental approaches, while, since the advent of PCR based …

Over the last decade, cryptic speciation has been discovered in an increasing number of
taxa. Species complexes are useful models for the understanding of speciation processes …

The interstitial environment of marine sandy bottoms is a nutrient-rich, sheltered habitat
whilst at the same time also often a turbulent, space-limited, and ecologically challenging …

The ecosystem formed by the marine flowering plant Posidonia oceanica is a biodiversity
reservoir and provides many ecosystem services in coastal Mediterranean regions. Marine …

Morphologically similar species, that is cryptic species, may be similar or quasi-similar owing
to the deceleration of morphological evolution and stasis. While the factors underlying the …