Higginsarctus shintai Hansen & Kristensen 2021, gen. et sp. nov.

• Main Authors: Hansen, Jesper G., Kristensen, Reinhardt M.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Tardigrada; Heterotardigrada; Arthrotardigrada; Halechiniscidae; Higginsarctus; Higginsarctus shintai; Kristensen; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/5213160; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5213160

Higginsarctus shintai gen. et sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 599082EE-9564-47C0-9CF9-A1EFD5F71F31 Figs 8–9 Diagnosis (characters uniquely defining the taxon are written in bold) Characterized by flat, comma-shaped secondary clavae. Unilobed, rectangular antero-lateral alae with weakly undulating distal margins without indentations. Unilobed, rectangular medio-lateral alae with weakly undulating distal margins without indentations. Antero-lateral alae and medio-lateral alae similar in size. Bilobed postero-lateral alae with medial pointed identation. Postero-lateral alae larger than antero-lateral alae and medio-lateral alae. Quadrilobed, rectangular caudal ala with 3 arched indentations, 1 medial and 2 lateral. Medial lobes of caudal ala small and rounded, lateral lobes larger, nearly rectangular. Leg sense organs I–III with similar length. Etymology The new species is dedicated to Dr Shinta Fujimoto for his contributions to tardigradology. Material examined Holotype FRANCE • ♀; North Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Bay of Morlaix, Roscoff; 48°43′ N, 03°54′ W; depth 20–30 m; 15 Mar. 1982; R.M. Kristensen leg.; Dentalium sand; NHMD-293904. Description HABITUS. The holotypic female (Figs 8–9) is 173 µm long from the anterior margin of the head to the posterior margin of the body. The body is ovoid, being broadest (106 µm) at the level between the second and third pair of legs. The dorsal cuticle has three transverse inter-segmental folds: one anterior to the first pair of legs, one between the first and second pair of legs and one between the second and third pair of legs. ALAE. Typical for the genus, eight alae, which are all clearly separated from each other, are present: frontal ala, a pair of antero-lateral alae, a pair of medio-lateral alae, a pair of postero-lateral alae and a single caudal ala (Fig. 8). Both the lateral and caudal alae appear corrugated, having transverse ridges perfectly parallel to each other. The antero-lateral alae and medio-lateral alae are all similar in size and shape being ...