Tardigrades of North Carolina
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View PDFStygarctidae Members: 1 NC Records

Stygarctus granulatus Pollock, 1970 - No Common Name


Dorsal drawing, Pollock 1970
Ventral drawing, Pollock 1970
Taxonomy
Class: HeterotardigradaOrder: "Arthrotardigrades" Family: StygarctidaeSubfamily: Stygarctinae Checklist Number: 2290.0
Taxonomic Comments: There are currently (2023) eight species in this genus.
Species Notes: Marine. Appears to be U.S. endemic. Only recorded from Mass. and N.C.
Identification
Online resources:Online Photographs: Google, GBIF                                                                                 
Species Description: The cephalic appendices are: a median cirrus, internal buccal cirri 8.21 microns, cephalic papillae (or anterior clavae) 7.2 microns, external buccal cirri 11.4 microns, lateral cirri A 14.7 microns, clavae 6.5 microns; the bases of all the cephalic cirri are enclosed in tiny cups. Mouth subterminal, on a retractile buccal cone; pharynx subspheri- Cal, buccal tube and stylets 27 microns, stylet supports absent. Eyes absent. Cuticle transparent and transformed into a series of dorso-lateral flat strips, with the appearance of dorsal and ventral unpaired plates (one around the head, three around the trunk, and one around the caudal part). There exists slender thickenings between the dorsal plates I and II, and between II and III. Dorsal plates thick, with small sparse refringent structures. The cephalic plate and those of the body are ventro-laterally plates. Only on the cephalic plate there is a second series of sharp processes, positioned on the posterior margin. The caudal plate has two long and pointed terminal processes of 16.3 microns. There exists two long lateral spines (30.4 microns), with enlarged bases -- armulated in some examples -- of about 3.9 microns inserted on the tubercles near the anterior end of the caudal section of the body. The first three pair of legs are inserted in round spaces, positioned in the anterior angles of the ventral plates I-III; these legs have equal length (about 25 microns); the 4th pair of legs is inserted latero-terminally in space positioned at the posterior angle of the ventral caudal plate; this 4th pair is longer (39.2 microns). The simple, terminal claws are four on all the legs, with basal connections; legs not digitated. Each one of the two median claws of each leg with a filamentous process departing along the dorsal surface of the claw, then slightly diverging, with an expansion of 13 microns beyond the end of the claw. Claws of the 4th pair of legs lO microns long, those of the other three pair 6.5 microns. On the 4th pair of legs there is a small lateral papilla, near the junction of the body.
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length: 50-150 microns.
Key Characters: Lacks dorsal spines, secondary clavae pedunculate, no sensory structures on legs I and II, small sparse refringent bodies scattered evenly over dorsal plates.
Key Character Images
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 sand, mid-high tide.
Abundance: Unknown.
Diet: Herbivorous.
Reproduction: Sexual, females with seminal receptacles for sperm storage. Probably smooth eggs deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods: PC.
Wikipedia

 Photo Gallery for Stygarctus granulatus - No common name

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Lindgren on 1970-03-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: Dorsal drawing, Pollock 1970		Recorded by: Lindgren on 1970-03-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: Ventral drawing, Pollock 1970