Macrobiotus hufelandioides Murray, 1910: 138-139 Macrobiotus aculeatus Murray, 1910: 139-140 Macrobiotus intermedius subjulietae Homing, Schuster & Grigarick, 1978: 237 A revision of the genus Minibiotus (Tardigrada: Macrobiotidae) with descriptions of eleven new species from Australia Claxton, Sandra K. Records of the Australian Museum 1998 1998-10-07 50 2 125 160 43JJS (Murray, 1910) Claxton 1998 Murray 1910 [239,1008,2558,2597] Eutardigrada Macrobiotidae Minibiotus Animalia Parachela 23 148 Tardigrada species hufelandioides comb. nov.    Macrobiotus hufelandioidesMurray, 1910: 138-139, pI. XVIII, figs. 29a-c.    Materialexamined. Australia: NEW SOUTH WALES: Kosciusko( typelocality), Digger's Creek, 36°20'S 148°30'E,  1500 m,  1 October 1992, P.D. Claxton, moss and lichen on rock in open alpine area, 58 specimens, 16 eggs. Thredbo Creek, 36°27'S 147°55'E,  1200 m,  1 October 1992, P.D.C., moss and lichen on rock in open alpine area, 10 specimens, 1 egg. Waste Point, 36°20'S 148°36'E,  1000 m,  1 October 1992, P.D.C., moss and lichen on rock, 4 specimens, 1 egg. Lake George, 35°04'S 149°23'E,  27 March 1992, P.D.C., moss and lichen on rock in open forest, 29 specimens, 24 eggs. Galore, 35°07'S 146°47'E,  340 m,  19 March 1994, S.K.C., moss and lichen on rocks on summit of monolitb in open forest, 19 specimens, 1 egg. All  SKC . Diagnosis. Smooth cuticle with granulation on all legs; three long macroplacoids and an indistinct microplacoid; robust claws with long, high accessory claws and toothed lunules on fourth pair of claws. Description. Body length 149-419 /llll, colourless. Eyes large, posterior. Cuticle smooth except for strong granulation over back and outside of all legs around claws. Buccal tube narrow (8.6% of buccal tube length). Stylet supports inserted at 67.4% of buccal tube length, ventral support short (45.9% ofbuccal tube length). Pharynxround (30 /lmdiameter) containing large apophysis, three macroplacoids and a microplacoid. Macroplacoid row long (38.2% of buccal tube length); first macroplacoid pearshaped and partly obscured by apophysis; second macroplacoid round, slightly shorter than other two; third macroplacoid kidney-shaped and about same size or slightly longer than the first. Microplacoid indistinct and lies close to third macroplacoid. Claws long and robust (fourth pair of claws is 29.3% of buccal tube length) with large, clear refractive base and short secondary branch. Accessory claws long andhigh above main branch. Lunules small and smooth on first three pair of legs, jagged or toothed on fourth pair. Eggs colourless, round, diameter without processes 54- 64 /llll, with processes 65-75 /llll. 20-26 processes around circumference. Processes conical with expanded discoid tops, distal disk smooth or lightly notched; process height 5.5-6.5 /lm,base diameter 5.5-7 /lm,disk diameter 4.5- 6.5 /lm.Each process with a ring of pores around the base; shell surface lightly granulated. Remarks. The original typematerial was not located. The main repository of lames Murray's permanent slides is the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh( Morgan, 1977). No Australian tardigrades are represented in that collection.  Although Murray's description lacks detail such as the granulation around the claws and the toothed lunule on the fourth pair oflegs, the identification of these specimens and eggs is not in doubt. His description of the animal having "three rods in the pharynx of nearly equal size, ... no comma or a very small and obscure one, ... eggs with processes like those of the typical  hufelandiegg, processes taper from a broad base which is surrounded by a circlet of dots... agrees with the specimens described here.  Table 13. Measurements (in Ilm) of adults of Minibiotus aculeatus.    Character No. Range Mean SD SE  bodylength 7 210-350 290.6 43.8 16.6  BTlength 7 24.9-32.4 29.1 2.5 1.0  BTwidth 7 1.9-2.5 2.3 0.2 0.08  SIlength 7 15.7-20.8 18.5 1.7 0.7  VSlength 7 13.0-16.8 15.0 1.4 0.5  PRlength 7 9.7-12.2 11.1 0.9 0.4  MPRlength 7 7.3-10.5 9.4 1.1 0.4  ml 7 2.2-3.2 2.8 0.4 0.1   m2 7 1.6-2.7 2.3 0.4 0.1   m3 7 1.6-3.0 2.4 0.5 0.2  microplacoid 7 0.6-1.1 1.0 0.2 0.08  PHlength 7 27.0-34.0 29.6 2.7 1.0  PHwidth 7 27.0-38.0 31.1 3.4 1.3  clawI 7 4.3-6.0 5.6 0.6 0.2  clawII-III 7 4.7-6.5 6.1 0.7 0.3  clawIV 7 5.4-7.0 6.6 0.6 0.2 Habitat. Murray (1910) indicated that the species was found in mosses at the Hospice on Mount Kosciusko. The material obtained for this study was found in mosses, fruticose and foliose lichens on rocks at the site of the Hospice (Digger's Creek). This species was the most abundant of the 31 species collected at Kosciusko in October 1992.   Minibiotus aculeatus(Murray, 1910) n.comb.  Figs. 1b, 14, 16a, 17a, 20a; Table 13    Macrobiotus aculeatusMurray, 1910: 139-140, pI. XVIII, figs. 27a-e.     Macrobiotus intermedius subjulietae Homing, Schuster & Grigarick, 1978: 237, figs. 117-120.    Materialexamined. AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: Kosciusko( typelocality), Digger's Creek, 36°20'S 148°30'E,  1500 m,  1 October 1992, P.D. Claxton, moss on rock, 1 specimen. Thredbo Creek, 36°27'S 147°55'E,  1200 m,  1 October 1992, PD. C., lichen on rock, 7 specimens, 1 egg. Waste Point, 36°20'S 148°36'E,  1000 m,  1 October 1992, PD. C., lichen on rock, 1 egg. New England National Park, 30030'S 152°30'E, 1400 m, 18 December 1994, S.K. Claxton, moss and lichen on rocks and trees in  Banksiaheath, 36 specimens, 2 eggs;  dittobut collected  20 April 1995, S.K.C., moss and lichen on rock in heath, 13 specimens, 1 egg;  dittobut collected on lichen on tree in  Nothofagusforest, 1 specimen;  dittobut collected  7 January 1996, S.K.C., moss and lichen in heath, 91 specimens, 4 eggs. Jenolan,  33°49'S 150002'E,  14 December 1986, S.K.C., moss on trees androcks in sheltered valley, 22 specimens, 6 eggs. Barrington Tops,  31°59'S. 151°30'E,  8 February 1993, D. Clark, moss on branch on ground in closed forest, 1 specimen. Mount Wilson,  33°30'S 150023'E,  27 October 1991, S.K.C., moss on tree in cool temperate rainforest, 1 specimen, 1 egg. QUEENSLAND: Ravensboume,  27°22'S 152°08'E,  3 September 1985, S.K.C., moss on tree in closed forest,S specimens. LORD HOWE ISLAND,  D.S. Homing, 6 specimens. TASMANIA: Mount Pedder, Maria Island National Park,  42°38'S 148°05'E,  620 m,  20 April 1995, A. Moscal, moss on rock in heath, 7 specimens. All SKC.   NEW ZEALAND: 16 paratypesof  Macrobiotus intermedius subjulietae: NORTH ISLAND: Waimaua Gorge,  17 May 1971, c. J. Homing, 1 specimen(NZ650). Grays Bush,  19 May 1971, C. J.H., 1 specimen( NZ672). Bruce Park Scenic Reserve,  21 May 1971, D.S. Homing, 3 specimens(NZ705). Taumarunui,  15 July 1970, BJ. Donovan, 2 specimens( NZ279, NZ281). Norsewood,  20 May 1971, D.S.H., 1 specimen( NZ687). Mount Egmont National Park,  23 May 1971, D.S.H., 1 specimen(NZ753). Morere Hot Spring Scenic Reserve,  19 May 1971, D.S.H., 1 specimen( NZ674). SOUTH ISLAND: Abel Tasman National Park,    9 April 1971, D.S.H., 1 specimen( NZ538). Cowper's Knob,   9 April 1970, D.S.H., 1 specimen( NZ86). West Harper Hut,   12 April 1971, H.A. Best, 1 specimen( NZ544). CHATHAM ISLAND:  Waterfall Creek,   31 August 1971, D.S.H., 2 specimens( NZ932, NZ924). THREE KINGS ISLAND: Summit Ridge,   28 November 1970, G.w. Ramsey, 1 specimen( NZ479). All NZM Diagnosis. Smooth cuticle with pores of variable size and shape and three pairs of soft spines (Fig. 17a) over legs 11, III and IV (or one pair over leg IV); three small round macroplacoids and a distinct microplacoid; short, robust claws with prominent accessory claws and very small refractive base and lunules. Description. Body length 204-350 /lm most specimens pink or pale brown in colour. Eyes in the posteriorposition. Cuticle covered with small (0.5 /lm diameter) round pores and, more sparsely, large triangular or star-shaped pores; large pores often with thickened rims. A ring of about ten pores around the mouth below the sensory fields are visible only under the highest light magnification and appear as slits in specimens prepared for SEM ( Fig. 1b). The shape under SEM is probably due to distortion of the specimen during preparation. Three pairs of soft, conical spines (about 7 /lm long) on body, one pair each above the last three pairs of legs. No teeth in oral cavity, buccal tube narrow 2 J.lIll (pt7.8). Stylet supports inserted at 63.7% of length of buccal tube, ventral reinforcing bar 51.4% of buccal tube length. Pharyngeal bulb oval (27x30 /lm)containing well developed, granular apophyses, three macroplacoids and a microplacoid. Macroplacoid row short (32.2% of buccal tube length); first macroplacoid pearshaped lying close to apophysis and partly obscured by it, second and third macroplacoids granular and similar in size. Microplacoid small, distinct and lies close to third macroplacoid. Claws short, robust (fourth pair of claws is 22.8% of buccal tube length) with no refractive zone at the base; accessory claws long and rising well clear of main branch. Lunules very small.  Figure 14. Taxonomic details of  Minibiotus aculeatusa, habitus; b, egg; c, ventral view of the buccal armature; d, claws of the first pair of legs; e, claws of the fourth pair of legs; f, detail of eggshell. Eggs colourless, round, diameter without processes 54 Ilm,with processes 65 Ilm.24-30 processes around circumference, 100 inhemisphere. Processes long cones with attenuated, areolated tips, 9-11 Ilm long, base diameter 3-5 Ilm,processes 3--4 Ilm apart, base of each process indented. Egg shell surface smooth. Remarks. Typematerial could not be located (see remarks for  M. hufelandioides)but because of the very characteristic soft spines and the description of the eggs, the identification is not in doubt. Murray's description did not include pores in the cuticle and they are difficult to discern at low magnification. They are mentioned as occurring in the posterior region of the animal in the description of  Macrobiotus intermedius subjulietae.However they are certainly present over the whole cuticle in the 16 paratypesexamined as they are in the material from the type locality. Specimens from all sites agree well with the dimensions of thatmaterialincluding the five specimens fromRavensbourne and three from Lord Howe Island which had only one pair of spines above the fourth pair oflegs. (Murray [1910] reported specimens with one pair of spines from Katoomba, NSW).  Table 14. Measurements (in /lm)of adults of  Minibiotus scopulus n.sp.    Character No. Range Mean SD SE Holotype  bodylength 15 165-428 328.9 81.4 21.0 423  BTlength 15 22.2-35.1 30.9 4.1 1.1 35.1  BTwidth 15 1.6-3.2 2.7 0.5 0.1 3.2  SIlength 15 14.6-23.2 20.4 2.8 0.7 22.7  VSlength 15 11.4-18.9 16.5 2.3 0.6 18.9  PRlength 15 7.0-15.1 11.9 2.4 0.6 15.1  MPRlength 15 6.0-13.0 10.3 2.1 0.5 13.0  m1 15 3.2-7.6 5.9 1.3 0.3 7.6  m2 15 2.2-4.3 3.4 0.7 0.2 4.3  microplacoid 15 0.5-1.6 1.2 0.4 0.1 1.6  PHlength 12 25.0-42.0 34.8 5.4 1.4 38.0  PHwidth 12 27.0-38.0 35.1 3.9 1.1 38.0  clawI 15 7.0-11.9 10.2 1.8 0.5 11.9  clawII-III 15 7.6-12.4 10.8 1.7 0.5 12.4  clawIV 15 8.7-14.1 12.2 1.9 0.5 14.1 Habitat. The species can be found in mosses and lichens at sites from high altitudes and seems to have a preference for these substrates on rock rather than on trees. 3066853382 1992-03-27 1994-03-19 1992-03-27 SKC Material 1500 -35.116665 Kosciusko 1195 146.78334 Australia 23 148 163 43 New South Wales 3066853362 1992-10-01 PD P. D. Claxton Australia Material 1500 -36.45 Digger's Creek 1187 147.91667 Kosciusko 25 150 1 New South Wales 3066853391 1992-10-01 PD Australia 1000 -36.333332 Waste Point 1188 148.6 25 150 8 1 New South Wales 3066853326 Australia New England National Park 25 150 1 1 New South Wales 3066853335 1995-04-20 S.K. Claxton Australia New England National Park 25 150 14 1 New South Wales 3066853373 1995-04-20 S.K. Claxton Australia New England National Park 25 150 1 New South Wales 3066853337 1996-01-07 S.K. Claxton Australia Jenolan 25 150 95 4 New South Wales 3066853388 1986-12-14 S.K. Claxton Australia -33.816666 Barrington Tops 25 150 28 6 New South Wales 3066853397 1993-02-08 D. Clark Australia -31.983334 Mount Wilson 1213 151.5 25 150 1 New South Wales 3066853376 1991-10-27 S.K. Claxton Australia -33.5 Ravensboume 25 150 2 1 Queensland 3066853316 1985-09-03 LORD, HOWE, ISLAND S.K. Claxton Australia -27.366667 1237 152.13333 25 150 1 Queensland 3066853314 D. S. Homing Australia Maria Island National Park Mount Pedder 25 150 6 Tasmania 3066853384 1995-04-20 SKC A. Moscal Australia 620 -42.633335 All 1149 148.08333 25 150 7 Tasmania 3066853401 1970-07-15 1971-05-23 1970-07-15 NORTH, ISLAND New Zealand Bruce Park Scenic Reserve Morere Hot Spring Scenic Reserve Mount Egmont National Park 25 150 26 Tasman paratype 3066853322 [1269,2212,1434,1468] 1971-04-09 D.S. Homing New Zealand Cowper's Knob 25 150 1 3066853325 1970-04-09 D.S. Homing New Zealand West Harper Hut 25 150 1 3066853315 1971-04-12 ISLAND Best New Zealand NZ 25 150 1 3066853307 [1268,1512,1559,1594] New Zealand Waterfall Creek 25 150 1 3066853394 1971-08-31 THREE, KINGS, ISLAND D.S. Homing New Zealand NZ 25 150 2 3066853386 1970-11-28 NZM Ramsey New Zealand All 25 150 1