Polymerurus nodicaudus (Voigt, 1901)

Kånneby, Tobias, 2011, New species and new records of freshwater Chaetonotida (Gastrotricha) from Sweden, Zootaxa 3115, pp. 29-55 : 48

Polymerurus nodicaudus (Voigt, 1901)

( Figure 15 )

Localities. Pond with water lilies, Bergianska Trädgården, Stockholm (N 59º 22’ 07’’; E 18º 02’ 41’’); Among Phragmites sp. and Typha sp., Lower Lake Rudan, Handen, Södermanland (N 59º 09’ 27’’; E 18º 07’ 31’’).

Material. 3 specimens. TL, 540–590 µm; FL, 120–140 µm; PhL, 90–112 µm; MD, 14–23 µm; SCA, 20–21; DC, 20–22; VR, ~55; VC, 12–14.

Large elongated species with three-lobed head. Cephalion and hypostomium well developed, the latter forming a transverse concave bar behind the mouth. Furca long with adhesive tubes divided into 20–21 segments. Dorsal body surface covered by pentagonal to hexagonal spined scales. Spines suddenly increase in length posterior of the caudal cutting. Interciliary area covered by smaller scales, similar in shape to the dorsal ones, with short simple spines that increase in length towards the posterior end. Ventral ciliation in two longitudinal bands connected by a thin transverse ciliated band just behind the hypostomium. Pharynx widens towards the pharyngeal intestinal junction. The Swedish specimen falls within the ranges of previously reported literature data.

This species is widely distributed in Europe (see e. g. Marcolongo 1910; Valkanov 1937; Rudescu 1967; Martin 1981; Schwank 1990; Kisielewski 1998) and is also reported from India ( Naidu & Rao 2004), Israel ( Kisielewski 1999), Japan ( Saito 1937; Sudzuki 1975), Korea ( Lee & Chang 2000), Canada ( Schwank 1990), United States ( Bryce 1924; Davison 1938), Brazil ( Kisielewski 1991) and Australia ( Hochberg 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Polymerurus nodicaudus. A) Habitus. B) Shape of pharynx, mouth and hypostomium. C) Ventral view showing ventrolateral spined scales and the spined scales of the interciliary area. Scale bars: A, 100 µm; B, 40 µm; C, 15 µm.