Rotifera from the Mediterranean Sea, with description of ten new species
Author
De Smet, Willem H.
text
Zootaxa
2015
4028
2
151
196
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4028.2.1
2baa825b-3af6-49ff-896e-f5cb990b4d62
1175-5326
240556
D47167E0-5C14-47F9-B4AA-9E906D13DF89
Trichocerca pediculus
Remane, 1949
The species (
Fig. 32
A) has not been reported since its description by
Remane (1949)
from movable fine sand in the
Bathyporeia
-zone at the Kieler Bucht, Baltic Sea, and Amrum Island, North Sea (
Germany
). In my samples it occurred twice in psammon, 50 and
100 m
from the shoreline of Elba Island, at −10 and −
40 m
; September; water temperature 21 and 23 °C.
FIGURE 32.
Trichocerca pediculus
Remane. A.
Female, lateral; B. SEM photographs of trophi, complete set, dorsal; C. detail left incus and uncus, lateral; D. detail right ramus and uncus, lateral. Scale bars: A: 50 µm; B −D: 10 µm.
In contrast with the original description by
Remane (1949)
the Mediterranean specimens showed a very weakly striated field right-dorsally in the anterior third of the trunk, delimited by two longitudinal ridges uniting posteriorly in a rounded rim. The species has a rather flexible integument as shown by the
Figs 16
and
17
in
Remane
l.c.,
but the fully contracted specimens in my material displayed the ‘typical’
Trichocerca
shape.
Study of the trophi by SEM (
Figs 32
B −C) shows some more minor details: the thin rod-shaped right manubrium is weakly incurved distally; the slender right uncus is accompanied by a thin, slender cylindrical tooth; the right uncus has a small porus at the distal end of the uncinal shaft, to date only reported in the major teeth of
Bdelloidea
(
Melone
et al
. 1998
; see also
Fig. 26
A); the massive head of the left tooth bears three small fused preuncinal teeth; suprarami with distinct sharp alula.
Measurements. Body (N=5): total length 115‒120 µm, left toe 28‒32 µm; trophi (N=4): length 35‒38 µm, left ramus 8.1‒ 9.0 µm, right ramus 8.0 µm, fulcrum 30.0‒32.0 µm, left uncus 7.4‒12.0 µm, right uncus major tooth 6.0‒9.0 µm, right uncus minor tooth 4.6−5.2 µm, left preuncinal teeth 2.0 µm, right preuncinal teeth 3.0 µm, left manubrium 28.0‒30.0 µm, right manubrium 24.0‒27.0 µm.