First records of Gastrotricha from South Africa, with description of a new species of Halichaetonotus (Chaetonotida, Chaetonotidae)

By

Todaro, M. Antonio
Dal Zotto, Matteo
Bownes, Sarah
Perissinotto, Renzo

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2011

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

142

Pages

1-13

Subjects

Gastrotricha , iSimangaliso Wetland Park , meiofauna , new species , South Africa , St. Lucia Estuary

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.142.2036

 

Abstract

During a survey of the biota of the St. Lucia Estuary in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa, a number of Gastrotricha were found among samples of meiofauna. Fresh, marine sediment yielded several specimens belonging to a total of seven species. Of these, two are already known from other regions (i.e., Dactylopodola australiensis and Heteroxenotrichula squamosa), one is described as new to science (Halichaetonotus sanctaeluciae sp. n.), while the remaining four (Pseudostomella sp., Halichaetonotus sp.1, Halichaetonotus sp. 2, Xenotrichula sp.) require further collections and analysis, in order to establish the extent of their affiliation to species already described. General appearance, shape of hydrofoil scale and the occurrence of three long spines on the dorsal side make the new species most closely related to H. australis and H. marivagus. The key differences from these taxa and between Halichaetonotus sanctaeluciae sp. n. and H. aculifer are discussed.