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Type: Articles
Published: 2012-08-30
Page range: 60–68
Abstract views: 51
PDF downloaded: 5

Hebesuncus mollispinus (Eutardigrada, Hypsibiidae), a new species from maritime Antarctica

University of Catania, Department of Animal Biology “Marcello La Greca”, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
University of Catania, Department of Animal Biology “Marcello La Greca”, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy
Tardigrada Hypsibiidae Antarctic

Abstract

A new species of eutardigrade, Hebesuncus mollispinus sp. nov. is described from Charcot Island, maritime Antarctica.The three known species of Hebesuncus are either widespread with questionable reports from the Antarctic (H.conjungens) or endemic to maritime and continental Antarctica (H. ryani and H. schusteri). Hebesuncus mollispinus sp.nov. differs from its congeners in terms of egg morphology and is further differentiated from H. ryani via a longer buccopharyngeal tube, claw shape and length; and from H. schusteri via a narrower bucco-pharyngeal tube and shorter claws.

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