The tardigrade fauna of Australian marine caves: With descriptions of nine new species of Arthrotardigrada
Author
Jørgensen, Aslak
Author
Boesgaard, Tom M.
Author
Møbjerg, Nadja
Author
Kristensen, Reinhardt M.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3802
4
401
443
journal article
45658
10.11646/zootaxa.3802.4.1
43524c34-a5b7-4f7e-908a-3e3b61ffc6db
1175-5326
252490
CF479CC3-C014-460D-9C71-3A6C2AB2778B
Genus
Tanarctus
Renaud-Debyser, 1959
Diagnosis (following Jørgensen & Kristensen 2001):
Tanarctinids without dorso-lateral epicuticle long rodshaped pillars. All four digits with simple external claws without dorsal spurs, internal claws with microscopic spurs or without spurs. The internal digits may be fused proximal and form a pretarsus. The external digits have a basal cuticular fold. The primary clava, when present, is very long and similar to the IV leg appendages, or the IV leg appendages are strongly modified with long spines, leaf-like appendages or balloon-like ampullae. The buccal clavae may consist of fused secondary and tertiary clavae and then appear H-shaped around the mouth, or they can be located rostrally as club-shaped clavae (secondary clavae?). Finally the buccal clavae may be absent or indistinct as a dome- or lens-shaped structure.
FIGURE 16.
LM of
Tholoarctus oleseni
nov. sp.
A–D. Allotypic female. A. Overview. B. Close-up of the head. C. Close-up of the buccal apparatus. D. Close-up of the fourth pair of legs. E. Overview of the holotypic male. Abbreviations: bt—buccal tube; cE—cirrus E; ec—external cirrus; ed—external digit; ic—internal cirrus; id—internal digit; oe—outer epicuticle; pb—pharyngeal bulb; pc—primary clava; pi—cuticular pillars; sc—secondary clava; se3—leg sense organ 3; ss—stylet support; st—stylet; ta—tarsus.
FIGURE 17.
SEM of two-clawed larva of
Tholoarctus oleseni
nov. sp.
(ventral view). Note that the outer epicuticle has not yet formed. Abbreviations: cA—lateral cirrus A; cE—cirrus E; ec—external cirrus; ic—internal cirrus; id – internal digits; pc—primary clava; ta—tarsus.
Type
species:
Tanarctus tauricus
Renaud-Debyser, 1959
.
Additional species:
Tanarctus arborspinosus
Lindgren, 1971
;
Tanarctus bubulubus
Jørgensen & Kristensen, 2001
;
Tanarctus dendriticus
Renaud-Mornant, 1980
;
Tanarctus diplocerus
Fujimoto
, Miyazaki & Suziki, 2013;
Tanarctus gracilis
Renaud-Mornant, 1980
;
Tanarctus helleouetae
Renaud-Mornant, 1984
;
Tanarctus heterodactylus
Renaud-Mornant, 1980
;
Tanarctus longisetosus
Grimaldi
de Zio, D'Addabbo Gallo, Morone De Lucia, Vaccarella & Grimaldi, 1982;
Tanarctus minotauricus
Renaud-Mornant, 1984
;
Tanarctus ramazzottii
Renaud-Mornant, 1975
;
Tanarctus tauricus
Renaud-Debyser, 1959
;
Tanarctus velatus
McKirdy,
Schmidt & McGinty-Bayly, 1976
.
Remarks.
Several new species of tanarctids with unknown phylogenetic relationships have been reported from the coarse shell gravel of the
Faroe
Bank (
Hansen
et al.
2001
). These species might represent a North Atlantic radiation, and together with the common occurance of
Tanarctus
in subtidal samples (R.M. Kristensen pers. obs.), suggest that this genus is much more numerous than the current number of described species. If all the undescribed species residing in various tardigrade collections were examined, the number of known
Tanarctus
species would greatly increase; as shown with the descriptions of several new species of stygarctids (
Hansen
et al.
2012
).