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