Life-history traits and description of the new gonochoric amphimictic Mesobiotus joenssoni (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae) from the island of Elba, Italy

Abstract Comparative analyses of life-history theory studies are based on the characteristics of the life cycles of different species. For tardigrades, life-history traits are available only from laboratory cultures, most of which have involved parthenogenetic species. The discovery of a new gonocho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zoological journal of the Linnean Society 2020-03, Vol.188 (3), p.848-859
Main Authors: Guidetti, Roberto, Gneuß, Elisa, Cesari, Michele, Altiero, Tiziana, Schill, Ralph O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bisexuality
Body length
Comparative analysis
Cuticles
Data collection
Hatching
Life cycles
Life history
Life span
Microorganisms
New species
Ova
Oviposition
Reproduction (biology)
Sexual dimorphism
Tardigrada
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Summary:Abstract Comparative analyses of life-history theory studies are based on the characteristics of the life cycles of different species. For tardigrades, life-history traits are available only from laboratory cultures, most of which have involved parthenogenetic species. The discovery of a new gonochoristic bisexual Mesobiotus species in a moss collected on the island of Elba (Italy) provides us with the opportunity to describe Mesobiotus joenssoni sp. nov. and to collect data on the life-history traits of cultured specimens to increase our knowledge of the life-history strategies present in tardigrades. This new species is differentiated from all other species of the genus by the presence of granules (~1 µm in diameter) on the dorsal cuticle of the last two body segments, two large bulges (gibbosities) on the hindlegs and long, conical egg processes. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in body length, with females being longer than males of the same age. The mean lifespan of specimens was 86 days, with a maximum of 150 days. The mean age at first oviposition was 19.8 days and the mean egg hatching time 15.4 days. The life-cycle traits correspond to those collected for the only other two macrobiotid species with gonochoric amphimictic reproduction examined so far.
ISSN:0024-4082
1096-3642
DOI:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz077