An annotated checklist of the macrodasyidan Gastrotricha from India
Author
Chatterjee, Tapas
Author
Priyalakshmi, Geetha
Author
Todaro, M. Antonio
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-01-21
4545
4
495
510
journal article
27674
10.11646/zootaxa.4545.4.3
7752c97e-c9bc-49c3-b1dd-0db7992b3e6c
1175-5326
2618301
B0910D8D-E387-4BDB-941F-40D06CBBBAD0
Pleurodasys helgolandicus
Remane, 1927
=
Pleurodasys megasoma
Boaden, 1963
Records from
India
.
KERALA
: Fort Kochi (Cochin), Karunagapally—Govindankutty &
Nair (1969
, 1972) as
Pleurodasys megasoma
; GENERAL RECORD:
Naidu & Rao (2004)
.
Habitat (as in Indian records).
Marine, intertidal, subtidal; fine and medium grained sediment, less frequently in intertidal zone, more widespread in submersed sand.
Distribution.
North Sea; Mediterranean Sea;
India
(Arabian Sea).
Remarks.
The Indian specimens are reported to bear a pair extraordinary organs ("lateral feet" of Naidu and Rao), each comprised of three adhesive tubes, while in the European specimens, these organs are composed of four tubes (
Marotta
et al
., 2008
). This difference, and the geographic distance from the
type
locality, call for a better morphological comparison between Indian and European populations. Ideally, such comparisons should also include genetic data as well as specimens from conspecifics, e.g.,
P. incomptus
Todaro, Dal Zotto, Bownes & Perissinotto, 2017
described from
South Africa
(see
Todaro
et al
. 2017
). We note positively that for some of the Indian populations information on seasonal dynamics are available (
Govindankutty & Nair 1972
). This
type
of information is much needed but rarely available for gastrotrich species.