Macrobiotus cf. coronatus De Barros, 1942

Tumanov, D. V., 2004, Macrobiotus kovalevi, a new species of Tardigrada from New Zealand (Eutadigrada, Macrobiotidae), Zootaxa 406 (1), pp. 1-8 : 8

Macrobiotus cf. coronatus De Barros, 1942

Three adult specimens and one embrionate egg were found. In details of the adult morphology and egg chorion sculpture our material is similar to Macrobiotus coronatus , recently redescribed by Pilato et al. (2000), with the exception of the following features: no eyes, thinner buccal tube (pt value 8.5–10.8), stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube in a slightly more caudal position (pt value 75.6–77.5), larger eggs (diameter 73 m without processes), larger processes (height 10.4–11.1 m, base diameter 7.4–8.1 m), very poorly developed reticulation of the processes surface, more evident partition between wide conical basal part of the egg process and the attenuated septate apex, no dots on the shell surface between processes. Our specimens agree basically with the descriptions given by Horning et al. (1978) and Nelson & Horning (1979) for the specimens from New Zealand identified by them as Macrobiotus harmsworthi coronatus . This form very likely represents a new species, but additional material needs to be examined in order to ascertain its exact taxonomical status.