Chrysoarctus briandi Renaud-Mornant, 1984

Trokhymchuk, Roman Ruslanovych, Arbizu, Pedro Martínez, Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg & Kieneke, Alexander, 2025, Marine tardigrades of Princess Alice Bank (Azores, Northeast Atlantic) with a description of a new species of Quisarctus Fujimoto, 2015, Zootaxa 5711 (1), pp. 125-139 : 137

Chrysoarctus briandi Renaud-Mornant, 1984

Fig. 10 ; N=9; 295–306 m bsl

Remarks

Robust tardigrades (78–120 µm in body length, n=6) with distinct epicuticular pillars ( Fig. 10A ). Primary clavae are 12–16 µm long (n=6). The main trait for this species is the so-called fan-shaped tarsus, with all the digits attached and aligned in one line ( Fig. 10C ). Claws with calcar ( Fig. 10C ). Following the original description ( Renaud-Mornant 1984), we searched and observed the unpunctated zone close to the mouth cone—presumably secondary clavae or their rudiments ( Fig. 10B ).

This species has a cosmopolitan distribution in the Mediterranean sea, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean ( Kaczmarek et al. 2015).

Figures

FIGURE 10. DIC microphotographs of Chrysoarctus briandi. A habitus, note cuticular punctation (arrowhead). B cephalic region, note unpunctated zone (arrowhead). C leg III digits. Abbreviations: cr—calcar, ic—internal cirrus, mc—median cirrus, pc—primary clava, ta—tarsus.