Camur-Elipek, Belgin2024-06-122024-06-1220090006-3088https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0023-9https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14551/20245Morphological colour variation in Idotea baltica basteri Audouin, 1827 (Isopoda: Crustacea) is reported for the first time on populations from a brackish water lake (Kucukcekmece Lagoon) in Turkey. According to pigmentation characteristics, the isopods were described and sorted to ten different colour morphs which are named as maculata, maculata-lineata, uniformis, uniformis-lineata, immaculatum, immaculatum-lineata, nigrum, nigrum-lineata, albafusca, and albafusca-fasciatum. The similarity of the morphs was compared by defining digit codes to some of the visual pigmentation characteristics and calculating the Bray-Curtis similarity index of the colour morphs. The albafusca and albafusca-fasciatum forms were found to be the most similar to each other (similarity 96%), whereas immaculatum forms were considered the most different from maculata-lineata (similarity 50%). The morphs named maculata and maculata-lineata, having the highest abundance with 70%, belong to the most successful forms which may achieve crypsis by background matching in their living habitat in Kucukcekmece Lagoon which has sandy and rocky bottom surface area.en10.2478/s11756-009-0023-9info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessCrustaceaIdotea Baltica BasteriPigmentationColour VariationLagoon LakeTurkeyIdotea-BalticaHabitat HeterogeneityPolymorphismEvolutionArticle641124129Q4WOS:0002629659000172-s2.0-59149093557Q3