Lepidodermella squamata (Dujardin, 1841)

Trokhymchuk, R. R., 2020, New Reports Of Gastrotricha For The North-Eastern Ukraine, Zoodiversity 54 (5), pp. 349-356 : 354

Lepidodermella squamata (Dujardin, 1841) ( fig. 3 , D)

M a t e r i a l. 4 specimens. TL 150–180 µm, al 10–11 µm, pl 37–54 µm, md 7–8 µm, hw 36–39 µm, nw

29–34 µm, tw 15–18 µm.

D e s c r i p t i o n. The morphology and the dimensions of the animals collected correspond to the literature data ( Schwank, 1990). Stocky body. The head is weakly five-lobed. Hypostomium developed. Dorsal head and trunk surface covered by smooth scales with either rounded or squared posterior edge; in the neck region the scales are more rectangular. Ventral interciliary field with transverse scale plates in the pharynx region. Mouth subterminal, pharynx gradually widens towards the pharyngeal intestinal junction.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d e c o l o g y. Cosmopolitic species ( Balsamo et al., 2008). Reported from Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Israel, East Africa, Canada, USA, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina ( Kånneby, 2011). Usually reported from olygo- and mesosaprobic water bodies ( Sladeček, 1976).

Remarks. This species is reported in Ukraine for the first time.

Figures

Fig. 3. Gastrotrichs of the Karyakiv ravine pond: A — Chaetonotus (Zonochaeta) bisacer, B — Chaetonotus (Primochaetus) heideri, C — Lepidodermella minor minor, D — Lepidodermella squamata, E — Ichthydium maximum, F — Haltidytes festinans. Scale bars 30 µm.