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 dendriticus
Renaud-Mornant, 1980 - No Common Name
Drawing Renaud-Mornant 1980
Taxonomy
Class:
Heterotardigrada
Order:
"Arthrotardigrades"
Family:
Tanarctidae
Checklist Number:
2190.0
Taxonomic Comments:
There are currently (Oct 2023) 15 species known for this genus.
Species Notes:
Marine. Discovered in NC at 4000 m depth off the coast of Cape Lookout. Only two additional records since, one in France and one in Brazil. Therefore, apparently restricted to Atlantic Ocean.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
The bases of the lst, 2nd, and 3rd legs are in contact with each other, giving the animal a stellate appearance. The cuticle has small, lateral rods higher than 1~1, in numbers of 20 per 10 microns. The head has trapezoidal shape, clearly delimited from the trunk. The cephalic cirri arise from bases 4-5 microns high, are very wide at the base and attenuated distally. Unpaired median cirrus, 9 microns; internal median cirri (whose bases are connected by a transparent membrane), 20 microns; external median cirri, 12 microns. The lateral cephalic lobes are slightly prominent, but present a lateral fold forming an outgrowth; these lobes bear only cirrus A (10 microns). Clavae absent. On the posterior part of the body are present the cirri E (19 microns), with enlarged bases. Dorsally, above the 4th legs, on a base of 4 microns is inserted the caudal bristles. These have greater diameter than the other appendices and measure 105 microns: simple and swollen in the proximal part, divided then into four secondary branches, of which the proximal is branched further into strong tertiary branches. The legs are conformed according to the general plan for the genus. The internal digits (10 microns long) are on a common base, the external digits are 7-8 microns long. The claws, sickle-shaped, bear one external spur.
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983.
Body Length:
Length from 67 to 78 mic
Key Characters:
Primary clavae absent, posterolateral appendages swollen proximally then divided into multiple secondary and tertiary branches all lacking bristles.
Key Character Images
Drawing from Renaud-Mornant 1980
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:
Deep sea fine sand.
Abundance:
Unknown.
Diet:
Probably herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Sexual, females with seminal receptacles, eggs probably deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods:
PC.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Tanarctus dendriticus
- No common name
Photos: 1
Recorded by: Renaud-Mornant on 1974-05-15
Carteret Co.
Comment: Drawing Renaud-Mornant 1980