Niphargus is by far the largest genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of its family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

, the Niphargidae

Niphargidae

Niphargidae is a family of amphipods. It contains the following genera:*Carinurella Sket, 1971*Foroniphargus G. Karaman, 1985*Haploginglymus Mateus & Mateus, 1958*Microniphargus Schellenberg, 1934*Niphargellus Schellenberg, 1938...

, and the largest of all freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 amphipod genera.

Usually, these animals inhabit cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

s or groundwater

Groundwater

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...

. They occur mainly in western Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

, in regions that were not covered by the Pleistocene

Pleistocene

The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....

 ice sheet

Ice sheet

An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...

s. Some are found southwestwards of this range; on the other hand this genus is largely missing from Iberia

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

. In their main range – the central Mediterranean region through Central

Central Europe

Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...

 and Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

 to the Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 – they are among the most significant organisms inhabiting the groundwater.

The genus Niphargus contains the following species:

• Niphargus abchasicus Martynov, 1932
• Niphargus aberrans
  Niphargus aberrans
  Niphargus aberrans is a species of crustacean in the family Niphargidae. It is endemic to Slovenia.-Source:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007.-External links:*...
  
  Sket, 1972
• Niphargus ablaskiri Birstein, 1940
• Niphargus abricossovi Birstein, 1932
• Niphargus adbiptus G. Karaman, 1973
• Niphargus adei S. Karaman, 1934
• Niphargus affinis Dobreanu, Manolache & Puscariu, 1953
• Niphargus aggtelekiensis Dudich, 1932
• Niphargus alasonius Derzhavin, 1945
• Niphargus alatus G. Karaman, 1973
• Niphargus alpinus G. Karaman & Ruffo, 1989
• Niphargus altagahizi Alouf, 1973
• Niphargus alutensis Dancau, 1971
• Niphargus ambulator G. Karaman, 1975
• Niphargus anatolicus S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus andropus Schellenberg, 1940
• Niphargus angelieri Ruffo, 1954
• Niphargus anticolanus d’Ancona, 1934
• Niphargus apuanus Ruffo, 1936
• Niphargus aquilex Schioedte, 1855
• Niphargus arbiter G. Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus arcanus G. Karaman, 1988
• Niphargus armatus G. Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus asper G. Karaman, 1972
• Niphargus auerbachi Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus aulicus G. S. Karaman, 1991
• Niphargus bajuvaricus Schellenberg, 1932
• Niphargus balazuci Schellenberg, 1951
• Niphargus balcanicus Absolon, 1927
• Niphargus baloghi Dudich, 1940
• Niphargus banaticus Dobreanu & Manolache, 1936
• Niphargus banjanus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus barbatus Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus bihorensis Schellenberg, 1940
• Niphargus bilecanus S. Karaman, 1953
• Niphargus biljanae Karaman, 1998
• Niphargus birsteini Dedyu, 1963
• Niphargus bitoljensis S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus bodoni Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus borkanus S. Karaman, 1960
• Niphargus borutzkyi Birstein, 1933
• Niphargus boskovici S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus bosniacus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus boulangei Wichers, 1964
• Niphargus brachytelson S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus brevicuspis Schellenberg, 1937
• Niphargus brevirostris Sket, 1971
• Niphargus brixianus Ruffo, 1937
• Niphargus bulgaricus Andreev, 2001
• Niphargus bureschi Fage, 1926
• Niphargus burgundus Graf & Straskraba, 1967
• Niphargus buturovici S. Karaman, 1958
• Niphargus caelestis G. Karaman, 1982
• Niphargus canui G. Karaman, 1976
• Niphargus carcerarius G. Karaman, 1989
• Niphargus carniolicus Sket, 1960
• Niphargus carpathicus Dobreanu & Manolache, 1939
• Niphargus carpathorossicus Straskraba, 1957
• Niphargus carsicus Straskraba, 1956
• Niphargus casimiriensis Skalski, 1980
• Niphargus castellanus S. Karaman, 1960
• Niphargus catalogus G. S. Karaman, 1995
• Niphargus cavernicolus Dobreanu & Manolache, 1957
• Niphargus cepelarensis S. Karaman & G. Karaman, 1959
• Niphargus ciliatus Chevreux, 1906
• Niphargus cismontanus Margalef, 1952
• Niphargus corinae Dedyu, 1963
• Niphargus corniculanus Iannilli&Vigna-Taglianti, 2005
• Niphargus corsicanus Schellenberg, 1950
• Niphargus costozzae Schellenberg, 1935
• Niphargus croaticus Jurinac, 1888
• Niphargus cubanicus Birstein, 1954
• Niphargus cvijici S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus d’anconai Benedetti, 1942
• Niphargus dabarensis Fišer, Trontelj & Sket, 2006
• Niphargus dacicus Dancau, 1963
• Niphargus dalmatinus Schaferna, 1922
• Niphargus danconai Benedetti, 1942
• Niphargus danconai S. Karaman, 1954
• Niphargus danielopoli Karaman, 1994
• Niphargus debilis Ruffo, 1936
• Niphargus decui G. Karaman & Sarbu, 1995
• Niphargus deelemanae G. Karaman, 1973
• Niphargus delamarei Ruffo, 1954
• Niphargus derzhavini Birstein, 1952
• Niphargus dimorphopus Stock & Gledhill, 1977
• Niphargus dimorphus Birstein, 1961
• Niphargus dissonus G. Karaman, 1984
• Niphargus dobati Sket, 1999
• Niphargus dobrogicus Dancau, 1964
• Niphargus dojranensis G. Karaman, 1960
• Niphargus dolenianesis Lorenzi, 1898
• Niphargus dolichopus Fišer, Trontelj & Sket, 2006
• Niphargus dubius Dobreanu & Manolache
• Niphargus dudichi Hanko, 1924
• Niphargus duplus G. Karaman, 1976
• Niphargus echion G. Karaman & Gottstein Matočec, 2006
• Niphargus effossus Dudich, 1943
• Niphargus elegans Garbini, 1894
• Niphargus enslini S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus eugeniae Derzhavin, 1945
• Niphargus factor Sket & G. Karaman, 1990
• Niphargus fontanus Bate, 1859
• Niphargus fongi Fišer & Zagmajster, 2009
• Niphargus fontophilus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus foreli Humbert, 1877
• Niphargus forroi Karaman, 1986
• Niphargus galenae Derzhavin, 1939
• Niphargus gallicus Schellenberg, 1935
• Niphargus galvagnii Ruffo, 1953
• Niphargus gebhardti Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus georgievi S. Karaman & G. Karaman, 1959
• Niphargus gineti Bou, 1965
• Niphargus glontii Behning, 1940
• Niphargus graecus S. Karaman, 1934
• Niphargus grandii Ruffo, 1937
• † Niphargus groehni Coleman & Myers, 2001
• Niphargus gurjanovae Birstein, 1941
• Niphargus hadzii
  Niphargus hadzii
  Niphargus hadzii is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is endemic to Slovenia, and is named after Slovene zoologist Jovan Hadži.-Source:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007.-External links:*...
  
  Rejic, 1956
• Niphargus hebereri Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus hercegovinensis S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus hoverlicus Dedyu, 1963
• Niphargus hrabei
  Niphargus hrabei
  Niphargus hrabei is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is an originally Ponto-Caspian species that was found in the River Danube in Bavaria in the mid 1990s. It is now known to occur in Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, and Ukraine; it is...
  
  S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus hungaricus Mehely, 1937
• Niphargus hvarensis S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus ictus G. Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus illidzensis Schaferna, 1922
• Niphargus incertus Dobreanu, Manolache & Puscariu, 1951
• Niphargus inclinatus G. Karaman, 1973
• Niphargus inermis Birstein, 1940
• Niphargus iniochus Birstein, 1941
• Niphargus inopinatus Schellenberg, 1932
• Niphargus inornatus Derzhavin, 1945
• Niphargus irlandicus Schellenberg, 1932
• Niphargus italicus G. Karaman, 1976
• Niphargus itus G. Karaman, 1986
• Niphargus ivokaramani G. Karaman, 1994
• Niphargus jadranko Sket & G. Karaman, 1990
• Niphargus jalzici G. Karaman, 1989
• Niphargus jaroschenkoi Dedyu, 1963
• Niphargus jovanovici S. Karaman, 1931
• Niphargus jugoslavicus G. Karaman, 1982
• Niphargus jurinaci S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus karamani Schellenberg, 1935
• Niphargus kenki S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus kieferi Schellenberg, 1936
• Niphargus kirgizi Fišer, Çamur-Elipek & Özbek, 2009
• Niphargus kochianus Bate, 1859
• Niphargus kolombatovici S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus komareki S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus korosensis Dudich, 1943
• Niphargus kosanini S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus kragujevensis S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus krameri Schellenberg, 1935
• Niphargus kurdus Derzhavin, 1945
• Niphargus kusceri S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus labacensis Sket, 1956
• Niphargus ladmiraulti Chevreux, 1901
• Niphargus laisi Schellenberg, 1936
• Niphargus laticaudatus Schellenberg, 1940
• Niphargus latimanus Birstein, 1952
• Niphargus lattingerae G. Karaman, 1983
• Niphargus leopoliensis Jaworowski, 1893
• Niphargus lessiniensis Stoch, 1998
• Niphargus liburnicus G. Karaman & Sket, 1989
• Niphargus likanus S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus lindbergi S. Karaman, 1956
• Niphargus longicaudatus A. Costa, 1851
• Niphargus longidactylus Ruffo, 1937
• Niphargus longiflagellum S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus lori Derzhavin, 1945
• Niphargus lourensis Fišer, Trontelj & Sket, 2006
• Niphargus lunaris G. Karaman, 1985
• Niphargus macedonicus S. Karaman, 1929
• Niphargus magnus Birstein, 1940
• Niphargus maximus S. Karaman, 1929
• Niphargus mediodanubilais Dudich, 1941
• Niphargus medvednicae S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus melticensis Dancau & Andreev, 1973
• Niphargus meridionalis Dobreanu & Manolache, 1942
• Niphargus messanai G. Karaman, 1989
• Niphargus microcerberus Sket, 1972
• Niphargus miljeticus Straškraba, 1959
• Niphargus minor Sket, 1956
• Niphargus moldavicus Dobreanu, Manolache & Puscariu, 1953
• Niphargus molnari Mehely, 1927
• Niphargus montellianus Stoch, 1998
• Niphargus montenigrinus G. Karaman, 1962
• Niphargus multipennatus Sket, 1956
• Niphargus nadarini Alouf, 1972
• Niphargus nicaensis Isnard, 1916
• Niphargus novomestanus S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus numerus G. Karaman & Sket, 1990
• Niphargus occultus G. Karaman, 1993-94
• Niphargus ohridanus S. Karaman, 1929
• Niphargus orcinus Joseph, 1869
• Niphargus orientalis S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus osogovensis S. Karaman, 1959
• Niphargus otharicus Birstein, 1952
• Niphargus pachypus Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus pachytelson Sket, 1960
• Niphargus pancici S. Karaman, 1929
• Niphargus pannonicus S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus parapupetta G. Karaman, 1984
• Niphargus parenzani Ruffo & Vigna–Taglianti, 1968
• Niphargus parvus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus pasquinii Vigna-Taglianti, 1966
• Niphargus pater Mehely, 1941
• Niphargus patrizii Ruffo & Vigna–Taglianti, 1968
• Niphargus pavicevici G. Karaman, 1976
• Niphargus pecarensis S. Karaman & G. Karaman, 1959
• Niphargus pectencoronatae Sket & G. Karaman, 1990
• Niphargus pectinicauda Sket, 1971
• Niphargus pedemontanus Ruffo, 1937
• Niphargus pellagonicus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus pescei G. Karaman, 1984
• Niphargus petkovskii G. Karaman, 1963
• Niphargus petrosani Dobreanu & Manolache, 1933
• Niphargus phreaticolus Motas, Dobreanu & Manolache, 1948
• Niphargus plateaui Chevreux, 1901
• Niphargus pliginskii Martynov, 1930
• Niphargus podgoricensis S. Karaman, 1934
• Niphargus podpecanus S. Karaman, 1952
• Niphargus poianoi G. Karaman, 1988
• Niphargus polonicus Schellenberg, 1936
• Niphargus poloninicus Straškraba, 1957
• Niphargus polymorphus Fišer, Trontelj & Sket, 2006
• Niphargus ponoricus Dancau, 1963
• Niphargus potamophilus Birstein, 1954
• Niphargus pretneri Sket, 1959
• Niphargus pseudocaspius G. Karaman, 1982
• Niphargus pseudokochianus Dobreanu, Manolache & Puscariu, 1953
• Niphargus pseudolatimanus Birstein, 1952
• Niphargus pulevici G. Karaman, 1967
• Niphargus pupetta Sket, 1962
• Niphargus puteanus C. L. Koch, 1836
• Niphargus rajecensis Schellenberg, 1938
• Niphargus ravanicanus S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus redenseki Sket, 1959
• Niphargus rejici Sket, 1958
• Niphargus remus G. Karaman, 1992
• Niphargus remyi S. Karaman, 1934
• Niphargus renei Karaman, 1986
• Niphargus rhenorhodanensis Schellenberg, 1937
• Niphargus rhodi S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus robustus Chevreux, 1901
• Niphargus romanicus Dobreanu & Manolache, 1942
• Niphargus romuleus Vigna-Taglianti, 1968
• Niphargus rostratus Sket, 1971
• Niphargus rucneri G. Karaman, 1962
• Niphargus ruffoi G. Karaman, 1976
• Niphargus salonitanus S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus sanctinaumi S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus schellenbergi S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus schusteri G. Karaman, 1991
• Niphargus scopicauda Fišer, Coleman, Zagmajster, Zwittnig, Gerecke & Sket, 2010
• Niphargus serbicus S. Karaman, 1960
• Niphargus sertaci Fišer, Çamur-Elipek & Özbek, 2009
• Niphargus setiferus Schellenberg, 1937
• Niphargus sibillinianus G. Karaman, 1984
• Niphargus similis G. Karaman & Ruffo, 1989
• Niphargus sketi G. Karaman, 1966
• Niphargus skopljensis S. Karaman, 1929
• Niphargus slovenicus S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus smederevanus S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus smirnovi Birstein, 1952
• Niphargus sodalis G. Karaman, 1984
• Niphargus somesensis Motas, Dobreanu & Manolache, 1948
• Niphargus speziae Schellenberg, 1936
• Niphargus sphagnicolus
  Niphargus sphagnicolus
  Niphargus sphagnicolus is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is endemic to Slovenia.-Source:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007.-External links:*...
  
  Rejic, 1956
• Niphargus spinulifemur S. Karaman, 1954
• Niphargus spoeckeri
  Niphargus spoeckeri
  Niphargus spoeckeri is a species of crustacean in the family Niphargidae. It is endemic to Slovenia.-References:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007.-External links:*...
  
  Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus stadleri S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus stankoi G. Karaman, 1974
• Niphargus stebbingi Cecchini
• Niphargus stefanellii Ruffo & Vigna-Taglianti, 1968
• Niphargus stenopus
  Niphargus stenopus
  Niphargus stenopus is a species of freshwater amphipod crustacean which is endemic to Slovenia.-External links:*...
  
  Sket, 1960
• Niphargus steueri Schellenberg, 1935
• Niphargus stochi G. Karaman, 1994
• Niphargus strouhali Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus stygius (Schiodte), 1847
• Niphargus stygocharis Dudich, 1943
• Niphargus submersus (Derzhavin), 1945
• Niphargus subtypicus Sket, 1960
• Niphargus talikadzei Giliarov, Lagidze, Levushkin & Talikadze, 1974
• Niphargus tamaninii Ruffo, 1953
• Niphargus tatrensis
  Niphargus tatrensis
  Niphargus tatrensis is a troglobitic species of crustacean in the family Niphargidae, living in the karst waters of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It can be found in caves, and also in karst springs and in wells in the karstic areas.Niphargus tatrensis was discovered in...
  
  Wrzesniowsky, 1888
• Niphargus tauri Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus tauricus Birstein, 1964
• Niphargus tenuicaudatus Schellenberg, 1940
• Niphargus thermalis Dudich, 1941
• Niphargus thienemanni Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus thuringius Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus timavi
  Niphargus timavi
  Niphargus timavi is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is found in Italy and Slovenia.-Source:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007.-External links:*...
  
  S. Karaman, 1954
• Niphargus toplicensis Andreev, 1966
• Niphargus transitivus Sket, 1971
• Niphargus transsylvanicus Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus tridentinus Stoch, 1998
• Niphargus trullipes Sket, 1958
• Niphargus vadimi Birstein, 1961
• Niphargus valachicus
  Niphargus valachicus
  Niphargus valachicus is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is found in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, and Slovenia.-Source:* Sket, B. 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007....
  
  Dobreanu & Manolache, 1933
• Niphargus vandeli Barbe, 1961
• Niphargus variabilis Dobreanu, Manolache & Puscariu, 1953
• Niphargus velesensis S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus versluysi S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus vinodolensis Fišer, Sket & Stoch, 2006
• Niphargus virei Chevreux, 1896
• Niphargus vjeternicensis S. Karaman, 1932
• Niphargus vlkanovi S. Karaman & G. Karaman, 1959
• Niphargus vodnensis S. Karaman, 1943
• Niphargus vornatscheri Schellenberg, 1934
• Niphargus vranjinae G. Karaman, 1967
• Niphargus vulgaris G. Karaman, 1968
• Niphargus wexfordensis Karaman, Gledhill & Holmes, 1994
• Niphargus wolfi Schellenberg, 1933
• Niphargus zagrebensis S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus zavalanus S. Karaman, 1950
• Niphargus zorae G. Karaman, 1967