AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE CLADOCERA OF CUBA

Although Cuba is the most studied Caribbean island with regard to freshwater Cladocera, our knowledge of their species composition and distribution is still limited. In this study, all available published and unpublished, reliable sources were reviewed for all records of this group of crustaceans. Thus, a revised and updated list of 70 species of the orders Ctenopoda and Anomopoda recorded for the island is here presented, including all sources of information. From the total number of records, about 32% are doubtful. Comments on these and on other selected species are included. From a biogeographical point of view, the fauna of Cuba is closely related to that of southern Mexico, and both regions have a close similarity with South America. The actual distribution of the species can be explained on the basis of the origin of the Proto-Antilles-Central America complex, of which the island of Cuba is the most diverse representative among the Recent Caribbean islands.