A new genus and species of Renaudarctidae (Heterotardigrada: Arthrotardigrada) from Ryukyu Archipelago,Japan |
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| Authors: | Shinta Fujimoto Hiroshi Yamasaki |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Zoology, Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;2. Research Center for Marine Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aomori, Japan;3. Department of Chemistry, Biology &4. Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan;5. Museum für Naturkunde Berlin – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany |
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| Abstract: | A new armoured marine tardigrade, Nodarctus hallucis gen. et sp. nov., is described from specimens collected from sandy beaches of Haterumajima, Ishigakijima and Okinawajima Islands, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. It is a member of the rare family Renaudarctidae, which is characterized by a stocky body with dorsal and ventral plates and stumpy legs with digits, claws and accessory filaments. However, the collected animals have prominent characters that differ from the two known species of the family: subdivided dorsal segmental plates I–III lacking lateral processes, an acute caudal spike, indented sensory plates, short spikes and peculiar papillae on legs I–III, basal spikes of legs IV and only two digits on legs IV. These differences justify the erection of a new genus and species for the animal. Morphological affinities with other marine taxa, the function of the leg papillae and the distribution pattern of the new species are discussed.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:041878AA-B437-45BF-80E3-32591D21D965 |
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| Keywords: | Thomas Cedhagen |
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