New records of marine Tardigrada in the Mediterranean Sea

Meiofauna from Chafarinas archipelago (western Mediterranean, N. Africa) were studied, and marine Tardigrada were identified to species level. A total of 15 species, belonging to families Stygarctidae, Halechiniscidae (Subfamilies Halechiniscinae, Florarctinae, Styraconyxinae and Tanarctinae), Batil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zoological journal of the Linnean Society 1996, Vol.116 (1), p.149-166
Main Authors: VILLORA-MORENO, SANTIAGO, DE ZIO GRIMALDI, SUSANNA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alboran Sea
Batillipedidae
Echiniscoididae
ecology
geographical distribution
Halechiniscidae
Stygarctidae
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Summary:Meiofauna from Chafarinas archipelago (western Mediterranean, N. Africa) were studied, and marine Tardigrada were identified to species level. A total of 15 species, belonging to families Stygarctidae, Halechiniscidae (Subfamilies Halechiniscinae, Florarctinae, Styraconyxinae and Tanarctinae), Batillipedidae, and Echiniscoididae, were found for the first time from the Alboran Sea and southwestern Mediterranean area. Four species and one subspecies are new records for the Mediterranean Sea: Floractus acer, F. asper, F. stellatus, Actinarctus doryphorusand Echiniscoides sigismundi hispaniensis. The male of Floractus stellatus, previously unknown to science, is described. Many species have been recorded for the first time in different sedimentary environments, such as midlittoral pools, very shallow gravels, pools in a mixed rocky environment or between Posidonia oceanicameadows, ‘Amphioxus’ gravels, and coastal detritic.
ISSN:0024-4082
1096-3642
DOI:10.1006/zjls.1996.0013