Batillipes noerrevangi Kristensen, 1978a

Kaczmarek, Łukasz, Bartels, Paul J., Roszkowska, Milena & Nelson, Diane R., 2015, The Zoogeography of Marine Tardigrada, Zootaxa 4037 (1), pp. 1-189 : 26-27

20. Batillipes noerrevangi Kristensen, 1978a

Batillipes noerrevangi Kristensen, 1976 ( Kristensen 1976)

Batillipes noerrevangi nov. sp. ( Kristensen 1978a)

Terra typica : North Sea ( Denmark, Europe)

North Sea:

• 56°04′N, 12°34′E; 0 and 1–2 m bsl: [FAO27] Denmark, Hovedstaden Region, Julebaek [Hellebaek] beach, small saltwater puddles separated from the sea or deeper water, low salinity (12–20‰), connected with river or spring system, interstitial, sand (mean diameter 0.2 mm). Kristensen (1976, 1978a, b, 1979)

• 55°56′N, 12°32′E; 10–50 cm bsl / 0.1–0.5 m bsl: [FAO27] Type locality: Denmark, Hovedstaden Region, Nivå Bay, shallow waters, salinity (4–11‰), large aggregations with Ruppia sp. vegetation, connected with river or spring system, on the surface of the sediment, sand (mean diameter 0.2 mm). Kristensen (1976, 1978a, b, 1979)

• 55°22′N, 09°36′E; 0 m bsl: [FAO27] Denmark, Syddanmark Region, Hejlsminde beach, low salinity (12‰), connected with river or spring system, interstitial, sand (mean diameter 0.2 mm). Kristensen (1978a, 1979)

Record numbers (Sea/Ocean classification): North Sea: 3; total: 3.

Record numbers (FAO classification): FAO27: 3; total: 3.

Remarks: This species is known only from intertidal localities with low water salinity (4–20‰) in the North Sea.

Kristensen (1978a) showed that this is a very variable species especially in the length and shape of the caudal spike/s, with the length and the shape of the caudal spike/s dependant on water temperature. It was reported that the caudal spike/s rapidly responded to changes in water temperature, and body length to changes in salinity ( Kristensen 1978a). However, it was not clear whether these characteristics are unique to B. noerrevangi or are common to other Batillipes species. Kristensen (1978a) also demonstrated that dorsal cuticle structure is a good taxonomic character to differentiate Batillipes species (as in Echiniscoides taxa). However, this character requires Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) examination (see also remarks for E. s. sigismundi ). It should be noted that some records of B. mirus and B. dicrocercus should be attributed to this taxon (see B. dicrocercus above).