Florarctus kwoni Chang & Rho, 1997

Bartels, Paul J., Fontoura, Paulo & Nelson, Diane R., 2015, New records of marine tardigrades from Moorea, French Polynesia, with the description of Styraconyx turbinarium sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada, Halechiniscidae), Zootaxa 3955 (3), pp. 389-402 : 392-393

Florarctus kwoni Chang & Rho, 1997

Fig. 2 A, B

Material examined. Four females (121–227 µm long) collected in coral sand at Cook’s Bay, 0.5–1.0 m depth.

Remarks. Of the 14 known species of Florarctus , including the recently described Florarctus wunai Fujimoto, 2015 , only three have undivided lateral alae: Florarctus salvati Delamare Deboutteville & Renaud-Mornant, 1965 , Florarctus vulcanis Renaud-Mornant, 1987 , and F. kwoni . The alae of the specimens from Moorea, although slightly wider than described by Chang & Rho (1997), are rocket-shaped ( Fig. 2 A), whereas they are roundish in both F. s al va t i and F. vulcanis . Our specimens also clearly show “mammilliform” sculpturing on the dorsal cuticle. Furthermore, in our specimens the procuticular supports (caestus) form a continuous belt with ill-defined contours lacking lateral processes ( Fig. 2 B), fitting the original description of F. k w o ni ( Chang & Rho, 1997). In contrast, in F. s a l v a t i and F. vulcanis the procuticular supports lack the continuous belt, rather forming multiple, individual lateral diverticula. In F. salvati these diverticula are digit-shaped while in F. vulcanis they are enlarged distally. ( Renaud-Mornant 1987). This is the first record of F. k w o ni for French Polynesia and the first time this species has been found beyond the type locality in Palawan Island, the Philippines.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Florarctus kwoni from Moorea, French Polynesia. A. Habitus showing enlarged posterior margin of right lateral ala making up the right fin of the rocket-shaped alae. Scale bar = 100 µm. B. Second specimen with arrows indicating procuticular supports (caestus); leg with foot is leg III, leg to left of photo is leg IV. Scale bar = 10 µm.