Marine Arthrotardigrada and Echiniscoidea (Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada) from the Indian Ocean

Abstract

Three new species of marine Heterotardigrada, Arthrotardigrada and Echiniscoidea from a sandy shore of the Island of Mauritius, are described. They are two species of Stygarctidae: Parastygarctus renaudae and Stygarctus lambertii, and a species of Echiniscoididae: Anisonyches mauritianus. The evolution of the cephalic plate in P. renaudae during post-embryonal development is somewhat peculiar. A. mauritianus has an evident medial cirrus and sense organs on the first three pairs of legs but both the clavae and the sense organs on the fourth pair of legs are indistinguishable. © 1987 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.