A tale of records from Hakskeen Pan, the first record of Pumilibranchipus deserti Hamer and Brendonck, 1995 (Anostraca, Branchiopoda) from South Africa and the pursuit of a new world land speed record

Abstract

Until now, Pumilibranchipus deserti was known from only one locality in Namibia. This paper reports the first record of this species from South Africa in Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape, which represents a new, easterly range extension of the known distribution. Additionally, we provide the first ever account of the habitat conditions with which this species is associated and highlight the precarious conservation status of the ephemeral wetland it was found in.

Keywords: ephemeral wetlands, fairy shrimps, flagship species, habitat conditions, speed racing