Checklist of animals in Postojna-Planina Cave System – the species richest cave system in the world

POSTOJNSKO-PLANINSKI JAMSKI SISTEM

The “Postojnsko – planinski jamski sistem” (in English: Postojna – Planina Cave System) is an outstanding cave system in the world for many reasons. It is the site of the discovery of a cave-adapted beetle Leptodirus hochenwartii, which was the first scientific description of the specialized subterranean animal in the world. This discovery sparked further explorations and descriptions of cave species around the world as well, making the PPCS the “cradle of speleobiology”. The PPCS is inhabited by the highest number of troglobionts (obligate subterranean species) in the world, including the renowned amphibian Proteus anguinus. It is an exceptional site, not only for its biological importance, but also for its historical, touristic and conservation significance.

The PPCS is located in central Slovenia, between the town of Postojna in Postojnska kotlina, the town of Planina on Planinsko polje and the town of Cerknica on Cerkniško polje. It is a system of many caves with separate entrances with individual cadastre numbers in Slovenian Cadastre of the caves: Postojnska jama (no. 747), Otoška jama (no. 779), Pivka jama (no. 472), Črna jama (no. 471), Magdalena jama (no. 820), Planinska jama (no. 748), Lekinka (no. 1867) and Tkalca jama (no. 857). If the lengths of their channels are added together, PPCS is a complex system of at least 34 km of cave passage length. Although some connections between the caves have not been passed by man (because of deep siphons), the caves are connected by underground water connections, mainly by the rivers Pivka and Rak.

Position of the caves of Postojna Planina Cave System in central Slovenia (position of the country marked in a small map in the top middle). Two photos from the cave are from Pisani rov in Postojnska jama (left), and Rak channel in Planinska jama (right).

THE CHECKLISTS OF ANIMALS IN PPCS

The first checklists of the PPCS were compiled as early as in the 19th century, and some updated lists were published in the 20^th century. The last species list that included only aquatic fauna was published in 1979 by Boris Sket. So it was high time to compile an updated checklist of the taxa that occur in PPCS, and make it available to the experts and interested public.

Despite its richness, new discoveries of species are expected in PPCS and the checklist is constantly updated from the SubBioDB database.

The checklist of troglobionts in PPCS

The special issue of the journal Diversity on Hotspots of Subterranean Biodiversity stimulated the preparation of the checklist of troglobionts. The collaboration of scientists from SubBioLab and Notranjska Museum in Postojna resulted in an article:

Zagmajster M., Polak S., Fišer C. (2021) Postojna-Planina Cave System in Slovenia, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity and a Cradle of Speleobiology. Diversity 13, no. 6: 271. https://doi.org/10.3390/d13060271

You are therefore asked to refer to this publication when citing the checklist of troglobionts.

MZ and CF were supported by Slovenian Research Agency and by the project Life NarcIS.

The list of 116 troglobiotic species recorded in the Postojna- Planina Cave System in Slovenia (ver. June 2021). If the species was reported from a specific cave(s) of the system, its name is given. Species with type locality in PPCS are marked with TL, and troglobiotic populations of surface species are marked with *.

Taxonomic group	Family	Species [original mentioning]	Cave
Protozoa – Ciliata
Suctoria	Spelaeophryidae	^TLSpelaeophrya troglocaridis Stammer, 1935	Planinska jama
Porifera
Demospongia	Spongillidae	*Ephydatia fluviatilis (Linne, 1759)	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
Turbellaria
Temnocephalida	Scutariellidae	^TLBubalocerus pretneri Matjašič, 1958	Planinska jama
		^TLTroglocaridicola capreolaria Matjašič, 1958	Planinska jama
Tricladida	Dendrocoelidae	Dendrocoelum spelaeum cf (Kenk, 1924)	Planinska jama
		^TLDendrocoelum tubuliferum de Beauchamp, 1919	Postojnska jama, Črna jama
Cnidaria
Hydrozoa	Bougainvilliidae	^TLVelkovrhia enigmatica Matjašič & Sket, 1971	Planinska jama
Mollusca
Gastropoda	Acroloxidae	Acroloxus tetensi (Kuščer, 1932)	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
	Ancylidae	*Ancylus fluviatilis Mueller, 1774	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
	Carychiidae	Zospeum kusceri Wagner A.J., 1912	Črna jama, Pivka jama
		Zospeum lautum (Frauenfeld, 1854)	Črna jama
		^TLZospeum spelaeum spelaeum (Rossmässler, 1839) [Carychium spleaeum; Z. alpestre rossmäsleri]	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
	Hydrobiidae	*Belgrandiella fontinalis(Schmidt F.J., 1847)	Planinska jama
		Belgrandiella schleschi Kuščer, 1932
		Hadziella ephippiostoma Kuščer, 1932
		Hauffenia michleri Kuščer, 1932	Planinska jama
		Hauffenia subpiscinalis (Kuščer, 1932) [Neohoratia subpiscinalis]	Planinska jama
		Iglica luxurians (Kuščer, 1932)	Planinska jama
		Belgrandiella kusceri (Wagner A.J., 1914)	Planinska jama
Annelida
Hirudinea	Erpobdellidae	*Dina krasensis (Sket, 1968) [Trocheta bykowskii krasense]	Pivka jama, Planinska jama
	Glossiphoniidae	*Glossiphonia complanata complanata (Linne, 1758)	Planinska jama
Oligochaeta	Lumbriculidae	Trichodrilus ptujensis Hrabe, 1963
		Trichodrilus strandi Hrabe, 1936	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
	Tubificidae	^TLEpirodrilus slovenicus Karaman Sp., 1976	Planinska jama
		^TLPotamothrix postojnae Karaman Sp., 1974	Planinska jama
		^TLPsammoryctides hadzii Karaman Sp., 1974	Planinska jama
		^TLRhyacodrilus caudosetosus Karaman Sp., 1983	Planinska jama
		^TLRhyacodrilus maculatus Karaman Sp., 1983	Planinska jama
		^TLRhyacodrilus sketi Karaman Sp., 1974	Planinska jama
		Sketodrilus flabellisetosus (Hrabe, 1966)	Planinska jama
Arthropoda – Arachnida
Acarina	Eremaeidae	Oppia cavatica nomen nudum	Planinska jama
	Eremaeidae	Oppia malograjskiella nomen nudum	Planinska jama
	Labidostommidae	^TL,*Labidostomma lyra Willmann 1932 [Nicoletiella denticulata]	Postojnska jama
Araneae	Dysderidae	Mesostalita nocturna (Roewer 1931)	Postojnska jama
		^TLStalita taenaria Schioedte, 1847	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Magdalena jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
	Linyphiidae	^TLTroglohyphantes excavatus Fage 1919 [Troglohyphantes anellii]	Postojnska jama
Palpigrada	Eukoeneniidae	Eukoenenia austriaca austriaca (Hansen, 1926)	Postojnska jama
Pseudoscorpiones	Chthoniidae	Chthonius speleophylus Hadži, 1930	Postojnska jama
		^TLChthonius cavernarum Ellingsen, 1909	Postojnska jama
		Troglochthonius doratodactylus Helversen, 1968	Postojnska jama
	Neobisiidae	^TLNeobisium pusillum Beier, 1939	Črna jama
		^TLNeobisium spelaeum spelaeum (Schioedte, 1848)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama
		Roncus stussineri (Simon, 1881)
Arthropoda – Crustacea
Cladocera	Chydoridae	*Chydorus sphaericus (O.F.Mueller, 1776)
Copepoda – Calanoida	Diaptomidae	Troglodiaptomus sketi Petkovski, 1978 [Troglodiaptomus sketi postojnae]	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
Copeopoda – Cyclopoida	Cyclopidae	Acanthocyclops kieferi (Chappuis, 1925)	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
		Acanthocyclops venustus venustus (Norman & Scott, 1906) [Acanthocyclops venustus stammeri]	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
		^TLDiacyclops charon (Kiefer, 1931) [Cyclops charon]	Postojnska jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Diacyclops languidoides (Lilljeborg, 1901) [Diacyclops languidoides goticus]	Postojnska jama
		Diacyclops slovenicus Petkovski, 1954	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
		^TLMetacyclops postojnae Brancelj, 1987	Postojnska jama
		Speocyclops infernus (Kiefer, 1930)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
Copepoda – Harpacticoida	Ameiridae	Nitocrella n. sp.	Postojnska jama
	Canthocamptidae	Bryocamptus balcanicus (Kiefer, 1933)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Bryocamptus n. sp.	Pivka jama
		Bryocamptus pyrenaicus (Chappuis, 1923)	Postojnska jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Bryocamptus typhlops (Mrazek, 1893)	Postojnska jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Bryocamptus zschokkei caucasicus Borutzky 1960	Postojnska jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		^TLElaphoidella cvetkae Petkovski, 1983	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Elaphoidella elaphoides (Chappuis, 1924)	Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		^TLElaphoidella franci Petkovski, 1983	Planinska jama
		^TLElaphoidella jeanneli (Chappuis, 1928)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
		Elaphoidella stammeri Chappuis, 1936	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
		Maraenobiotus cf. brucei (Richard, 1898)	Pivka jama
		Moraria n. sp.	Črna jama
		Morariopsis scotenophila (Kiefer, 1930)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama
		Pilocamptus pilosus (Douwe, 1910) [Echinocamptus georgevitchi, E. pilosus, E. unicus]	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Stygepactophanes n. sp.	Črna jama
	Parastenocarididae	Horstkurtcaris nolli alpina (Kiefer, 1960) [Parastenocaris nolli]	Črna jama, Pivka jama
		Parastenocaris n. sp. 1	Črna jama
		Parastenocaris n. sp. 2	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama
Ostracoda – Podocopida	Candonidae	^TLTyphlocypris trigonella (Klie, 1931) [Candona trigonella]	Postojnska jama
		Typhlocypris schmeili nomen nudum	Črna jama
Decapoda	Atyidae	^TLTroglocaris planinensis Birstein, 1948 [Troglocaris anophthalmus]	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama, Tkalca jama
Amphipoda	Crangonyctidae	*Synurella ambulans Mueller, 1846 [Synurella jugoslavica]	Planinska jama
	Niphargidae	Niphargus dobati Sket 1999 [Niphargus aquilex]	Planinska jama
		Niphargus orcinus Joseph 1869
		^TLNiphargus orophobata (Sket, 1981) [Niphargobates orophobata]	Planinska jama
		^TLNiphargus spoeckeri Schellenberg, 1933	Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		^TLNiphargus stygius (Schioedte, 1847)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
		Niphargus sp. stygius-complex (Schioedte, 1847)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
		^TLNiphargus wolfi Schellenberg, 1933	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
Isopoda	Asellidae	*Asellus aquaticus aquaticus (Linne, 1761)	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		^TL,*Asellus aquaticus cavernicolus Racovitza, 1925	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
		Proasellus istrianus (Stammer 1932)	Pivka jama
	Sphaeromatidae	Monolistra racovitzai racovitzai Strouhal, 1928	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
	Trichoniscidae	Androniscus stygius (Nemec, 1897) [Andronicus cavernarum tschammeri Strouhal, 1935]	Postojnska jama, Magdalena jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
		^TLTitanethes albus (Koch C., 1841)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Magdalena jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama, Planinska jama
Arthropoda – Myriapoda
Chilopoda	Lithobiidae	Lithobius n. sp.
		^TLLithobius stygius Latzel, 1880	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Planinska jama
		^TLLithobius zveri (Matić & Stentzer, 1977) [Monotarsobius zveri]	Planinska jama
Diplopoda	Attemsiidae	^TLAttemsia stygia (Latzel, 1884)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Pivka jama
	Haasiidae	^TLHaasia troglodyta(Latzel 1884) [Acherosoma troglodytes, Haasia troglodytes]	Postojnska jama
	Iulidae	Typhloiulus illirycus (Verhoeff, 1929)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama
	Polydesmidae	^TL,*Brachydesmus subterraneus Heller, 1857	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Pivka jama
Symphyla	Scolopendrellidae	^TLScolopendreilopsis pretneri Juberthie-Jupeau, 1963	Postojnska jama
	Scutigerellidae	^TLScutigerella hauserae Scheller, 1990	Postojnska jama
Arthropoda – Hexapoda
Collembola	Arrhopalitidae	^TLPygmarrhopalites postumicus (Stach, 1945) [Arrhopalites postumicus]	Postojnska jama
	Paronellidae	Troglopedetes pallidus Absolon, 1907	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama
	Neelidae	Neelus n. sp.	Postojnska jama
	Oncopoduridae	^TLOncopodura cavernarum Stach 1934	Postojnska jama
	Onychiuridae	Absolonia gigantea (Absolon, 1901) [Onychiurus giganteus]	Črna jama
		^TLOnychiuroides postumicus Bonet, 1931 [Onychiurus postumicus]	Črna jama
		^TLOnychiurus boldorii Denis, 1938	Postojnska jama
	Tomoceridae	Tritomurus scutellatus Frauenfeld 1854)	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
Diplura	Campodeidae	Plusiocampa nivea (Joseph, 1882) [Campodea nivea, Plusiocampa erebophila]	Postojnska jama
Coleoptera	Carabidae	Anophthalmus amplus sedulus (Knirsch, 1926) [Anophthalmus pubens/pubescens]	Planinska jama
		Anophthalmus schmidtii schmidtii Sturm, 1844	Postojnska jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
		^TLAnophthalmus severi confusus (J. Müller, 1935) [Anophthalmus hirtus confusus]	Magdalena jama, Črna jama
	Cholevidae	Aphaobius milleri Schmidt, 1855	Črna jama
		Bathyscimorphus sagarum Bognolo, 2002	Planinska jama
		^TLBathyscimorphus byssinus byssinus (Schiödte, 1848)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Črna jama
		^TLBathysciotes khevenhuelleri khevenhuelleri (L. Miller, 1852)	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Magdalena jama, Planinska jama
		^TLLeptodirus hochenwartii hochenwartii Schmidt, 1832	Postojnska jama, Otoška jama, Magdalena jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama
	Staphylinidae	^TLMachaerites ravasinii (J. Müller, 1922)	Postojnska jama, Planinska jama
Vertebrata
Amphibia-Urodela	Proteidae	Proteus anguinus Laurenti, 1768	Postojnska jama, Magdalena jama, Črna jama, Planinska jama, Tkalca jama

The checklist of non troglobionts in PPCS

*Under preparation

In case of any further questions, please contact our SubBioDB manager.

Checklist of animals in Postojna-Planina Cave System – the species richest cave system in the world

POSTOJNSKO-PLANINSKI JAMSKI SISTEM

THE CHECKLISTS OF ANIMALS IN PPCS

The checklist of troglobionts in PPCS

The checklist of non troglobionts in PPCS

Subterranean Biology Lab
Department of Biology
Biotechnical Faculty
University of Ljubljana

Location

Post address

POSTOJNSKO-PLANINSKI JAMSKI SISTEM

THE CHECKLISTS OF ANIMALS IN PPCS

The checklist of troglobionts in PPCS

The checklist of non troglobionts in PPCS

Subterranean Biology Lab Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana

Subterranean Biology Lab
Department of Biology
Biotechnical Faculty
University of Ljubljana