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The Tidal Genus Echiniscoides and Its Variability, with Erection of Echiniscoididae fam.n. (Tardigrada) 1
Author(s) -
KRISTENSEN REINHARDT M.,
HALLAS THORKIL E.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.1980.tb00657.x
Subject(s) - subspecies , biology , tardigrada , genus , key (lock) , ecology , zoology , systematics , mediterranean climate , taxonomy (biology)
The family Echiniscoididae, comprising Anisonyches Pollock, 1975 and Echiniscoides is erected. Members of the latter genus were found in barnacles collected from the coasts of the USA, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France and Spain. From this material and from available museum specimens it can be concluded that two species of Echiniscoides exist. E. hoepneri sp.n. is parasitic in Balanus balanoides in W Greenland. E. sigismundi (M. Schultze, 1865) is a complex of small species mainly distinguished by its co‐variation of cutic‐ular and claw features. E. sigismundi groenlandicus subsp.n. appeared from the coasts of the USA, Greenland and Norway. For E. sigismundi s.str. we were forced to establish a neotype typical of the findings from S Norway to N France, thus including the traditional finding places of this species. Less widely distributed are perhaps E. s. galliensis subsp.n. (N France), E. s. hispaniensis subsp.n. (N Spain, the Atlantic coast) and E. s. mediterranicus subsp.n. (the Mediterranean coast of N Spain). E. s. polynesiensis Renaud‐Mornant, 1976 is recorded from Melbourne (Australia) and against the background of the other subspecies an amended diagnosis is presented. Key characters are provided and besides an analysis of the variation of taxonomic characters, a brief account of the biology and ecology of the members of Echiniscoides is given.