Tardigrades of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Family:
BATILLIPEDIDAE
CALOHYPSIBIIDAE
DORYPHORIBIIDAE
ECHINISCIDAE
EOHYPSIBIIDAE
HALECHINISCIDAE
HYPSIBIIDAE
ISOHYPSIBIIDAE
ITAQUASCONIDAE
MACROBIOTIDAE
MICROHYPSIBIIDAE
MILNESIIDAE
MURRAYIDAE
PILATOBIIDAE
RAMAZZOTTIIDAE
RICHTERSIUSIDAE
STYGARCTIDAE
STYRACONYXIDAE
TANARCTIDAE
Order:
APOCHELA
"ARTHROTARDIGRADES"
ECHINISCOIDEA
PARACHELA
Class:
Heterotardigrada
Eutardigrada
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Tanarctidae Members:
Tanarctus arborspinosus
Tanarctus dendriticus
Tanarctus gracilis
Tanarctus heterodactylus
2 NC Records
Tanarctus arborspinosus
Lindgren, 1971 - No Common Name
Habitus, PC
Taxonomy
Class:
Heterotardigrada
Order:
"Arthrotardigrades"
Family:
Tanarctidae
Checklist Number:
2180.0
Taxonomic Comments:
There are currently (Oct 2023) 15 species known for this genus, this was the second species described in the genus.
Species Notes:
Marine. First described from intertidal beach sand near Iron Steamer Pier, Bogue Bank, near Morehead City. Beyond this original observation there are no other records of this species.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
Small, delicate, and flattened. The cephalic cirri and the caudal spines are very developed. There exists the dorsal median cirrus, directed forward; the internal cephalic cirri are 24-25 microns long, the externals are inserted ventral to the cephalic papilla, and are 16-18 microns long; lateral cirri and clavae are inserted on a common base. In the original description of this species, as well as of Tan. tauricus, it was described as the clavae being short appendices, while those considerably longer were considered as cirri A. Lindgren however, in the description of this species, has advanced the hypothesis that in reality the long appendices are the clavae, and those short, slender, and pointed are in reality the cirri A. This hypothesis was later adopted by other authors, and applied to the descriptions of later species. Nevertheless, more consideration verified that in Tan. arborspinosus the cirri A are 8 microns long, while the clavae, somewhat flattened, supplied with short bristles, are 205-220 microns long. There exists a short cirrus E (13-17 microns) between the 3rd and 4th pairs of legs. The conspicuous posterolateral spines are composed of a principal branch, which reaches 195-210 microns, from which branches three (sometimes two or four) secondary branches as well as numerous much shorter branches. The cuticle is transparent, with small uniformly distributed pores. The mouth is ventral. The legs are telescopic and the first three pair bear a short spine. The digits, with claws, are four per leg, and arise from a bulbous base; the internal digits are longer than the externals.
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length:
85-108 microns.
Key Characters:
Extremely long primary clavae with short bristles, and extremely long posterolateral appendages with 2-4 secondary branches, all with short bristles.
Key Character Images
Drawing from Lindgren 1971
ID Requirements:
Identifiable only by close inspection of key characters or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Intertidal beach sand.
Abundance:
Unknown.
Diet:
Herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Sexual, females with seminal receptacles, eggs probably deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods:
PC.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Tanarctus arborspinosus
- No common name
Photos: 3
Recorded by: Bartels on 2024-04-23
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Lindgren on 1970-03-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: Habitus, PC
Recorded by: Lindgren on 1970-03-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: Drawing from Lindgren 1971