Towards a better understanding of deep-sea tardigrade biogeography: numerous new records from the Southern Ocean

Roman Trokhymchuk*, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Serge Utevsky, Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen, Alexander Kieneke

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

To date, only eight species of marine tardigrades have been recorded from the Southern Ocean. A total of 1210 tardigrade specimens were collected during various marine expeditions with R/V POLARSTERN: ANDEEP-1, ANDEEP-2, ANDEEP-3 and ANDEEP-SYSTCO. The sampled tardigrades belong to five families (Batillipedidae, Coronarctidae, Halechiniscidae, Styraconyxidae and Echiniscoididae), seven genera (Batillipes, Coronarctus, Moebjergarctus, Angursa, Styraconyx, Tholoarctus, Isoechiniscoides) and 15 species (Batillipes wyedeleinorum, Coronarctus dissimilis, Coronarctus tenellus, Coronarctus cf. tenellus, Moebjergarctus clarionclippertonensis, Angursa sp., A. abyssalis, A. antarctica, A. capsula, A. lanceolata, A. lingua, Styraconyx qivitoq, S. takeshii, Tholoarctus oleseni, Isoechiniscoides aff. sifae sp. can.). For the genera Batillipes, Coronarctus, Moebjergarctus, Tholoarctus and Isoechiniscoides, these new distribution data are the southernmost records and first reports from the Southern Ocean. Furthermore, the genera Styraconyx, Batillipes and Isoechiniscoides are reported from the abyssal zone for the first time. These new findings significantly expand our previous knowledge of both geographic and bathymetric distribution of marine Tardigrada.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftZootaxa
Vol/bind5543
Udgave nummer1
Sider (fra-til)1-39
Antal sider39
ISSN1175-5326
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to people involved in collecting the samples, in particular the crew of R/V Polarstern and the scientific team of expeditions, and furthermore to the team of technicians of the DZMB who carried out the identification, counting and sorting of the meiofauna higher level taxa. The authors would like to thank all the people from Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Denmark and Brazil who are concerned and without whom this article could not have been published. We thank all the people who are working for the free practice of science in Ukraine and in all other places in the world where this right is threatened. Appraisals and suggestions of two anonymous referees and Dr. \u0141ukasz Michalczyk significantly helped to improve the manuscript.

Funding Information:
This study was enabled through support of the stipend of the Deutsche Bundesumweltstiftung (DBU) and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) stipend to R.T.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Magnolia Press.

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