Data from: The importance of naming cryptic species and the conservation of endemic subterranean amphipods

Molecular taxonomy often uncovers cryptic species, reminding us that taxonomic incompleteness is even more severe than previous thought. The importance of cryptic species for conservation is poorly understood. Although some cryptic species may be seriously threatened or otherwise important, they are rarely included in conservation programs as most of them remain undescribed. We analysed the importance of cryptic species in conservation by scrutinizing the South European cryptic complex of the subterranean amphipod Niphargus stygius sensu lato. Using uni- and multilocus delineation methods we show that it consists of 15 parapatric and sympatric species, which we describe using molecular diagnoses. The new species are not mere “taxonomic inflation” as they originate from several distinct branches within the genus and coexist with no evidence of lineage sharing. They are as evolutionarily distinct as average nominal species of the same genus. Ignoring these cryptic species will underestimate the number of subterranean endemics in Slovenia by 12 and in Croatia by four species, although alpha diversity of single caves remains unchanged. The new taxonomy renders national Red Lists largely obsolete, as they list mostly large-ranged species but omit critically endangered single-site endemics. Formal naming of cryptic species is critical for them to be included in conservation policies and faunal listings.

分子分类学（molecular taxonomy）常可发现隐存物种（cryptic species），这提示我们分类学的不完备程度远超此前预期。隐存物种对保护工作的重要性尚未得到充分认知：尽管部分隐存物种可能面临严重威胁或具备其他保护价值，但由于多数隐存物种尚未正式描述，它们极少被纳入保护规划。本研究以欧洲南部的地下端足类动物——斯提吉泥钩虾广义类群（Niphargus stygius sensu lato）复合群为研究对象，剖析隐存物种在保护中的重要性。通过单基因座与多基因座物种界定方法，我们证实该复合群包含15个邻域分布与同域分布的物种，并借助分子诊断特征对这些新物种进行了正式描述。这些新物种并非单纯的"分类学膨胀"：它们隶属于该属内多个独立演化支，且共存时未发现谱系共享现象，其演化分化程度与该属已正式命名的普通物种相当。若忽略这些隐存物种，斯洛文尼亚的地下特有种数量将被低估12种，克罗地亚则被低估4种；尽管单个洞穴的α多样性并未发生改变。新的分类体系将使两国的国家红色名录大幅过时，因为这些名录多收录分布范围广泛的物种，却遗漏了极危的单站点特有种。正式命名隐存物种，是将其纳入保护政策与动物名录的关键前提。