A new species of the previously monospecific marine tardigrade family Neostygarctidae is described. Neostygarctus lovedeluxe n. sp. was found from a submarine cave in Miyako Islands, Japan. This is the first record of Neostygarctidae from the Pacific. The new species is easily distinguished from the previously known N. acanthophorus by its number of dorsal spines, as N. lovedeluxe has two spines each on the three dorsal body plates in contrast to one in N. acanthophorus. Furthermore the morphology of the two clawed juvenile is reported for the first time in Neostygarctidae, providing new insights into the common sequence in some ontogenic traits.
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1 May 2013
Neostygarctus lovedeluxe n. sp. from the Miyako Islands, Japan: The First Record of Neostygarctidae (Heterotardigrada: Arthrotardigrada) from the Pacific
Shinta Fujimoto,
Katsumi Miyazaki
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Zoological Science
Vol. 30 • No. 5
May 2013
Vol. 30 • No. 5
May 2013
meiobenthos
Miyako Islands
phylogeny
submarine cave
Tardigrada
taxonomy