Intraspecific length variation and shell thickness of the ostracod Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) as a potential tool for palaeosalinity characterization

Cyprideis torosa (Jones) is a common ostracod species in brackish waters of large parts of the world. The species appears in, but it is not restricted to, marginal marine areas, and it thus plays a significant role in identifying variable impacts between the marine and terrestrial realms as its carapace changes phenotypically under various conditions. This variability could be a highly valuable source of information in palaeoecology. We use valves of this species living in different lagoonal and lacustrine environments of the Kızılırmak Delta at the Turkish Black Sea coast since the Mid-Holocene. By measuring the valve sizes of adult individuals and A-1 instars and documenting the thickness classes of the adult shells we found a good positive correlation between the size of female valves and the prevailing salinity (correlation coefficient: 0.56), while such a correlation is lacking for ontogenetic stage A-1. No changes of the height/length ratio of the valves were recognizable along the salinity gradient. Shells are significantly thicker under relatively stable, higher saline conditions, but thinner in highly variable and low saline deltaic lakes. Both morphological features, size and shell thickness of C. torosa (Cyprideis torosa), are thus potential tools to give palaeo-environmental information, especially in C. torosa-dominated, low diversity marginal marine environments.