A new record of the marine chaetonotid gastrotrich genus Diuronotus (Paucitubulatina: Muselliferidae) from the Sea of Japan
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Niels Van Steenkiste; Brian S. Leander; Kevin C. Wakeman
- Source
- Zoologischer Anzeiger. 290:113-116
- Subject
- 0106 biological sciences
Range (biology)
010607 zoology
Intertidal zone
Gastrotrich
Muselliferidae
Biology
biology.organism_classification
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Paucitubulatina
Oceanography
Genus
Diuronotus
Animal Science and Zoology
14. Life underwater
North sea
- Language
- ISSN
- 0044-5231
Marine gastrotrichs of the Pacific Ocean are poorly known. Here, we report on the finding of a marine chaetonotid gastrotrich of the genus Diuronotus from an intertidal beach within the Sea of Japan in Hokkaido (Japan). The Japanese individual shows a very close resemblance to Diuronotus aspetos. This new record is a consequential extension of its biogeographic range; previous records for representatives of this genus are confined to West Greenland, the North Sea and the east coast of North America. This rarely encountered, but seemingly widespread genus of marine gastrotrichs exemplifies our limited understanding of meiofaunal diversity and distribution patterns caused by sampling bias and insufficient knowledge on nominal species complexes.