The Small World of Freshwater Gastrotrichs
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(Hystricochaetonotus)

scetch
  • Body length 60 - 190 µm
  • three-lobed scales with axial keel
  • spine with secondary tip (but can sometimes be absent or double)
  • all scales spiny, spines elongate from front to back

For the subgenus Hystricochaetonotus are the relatively large, non-overlapping scales with a long spine. This subgenus owes its name to this spiny appearance (hystix = porcupine).

Type image *Typical Chaetonotus (Hystricochaetonotus) - here C. (H. ) persetosus

The scales are in typical arrangement. Their shape is trilobate with a central keel, at the end of which arises a long spine - usually with a secondary tip:

Scales
typical three-lobed scales in Hystricochaetonotus - here C. (H. ) persetosus



46 Species:


Chaetonotus (H. ) longispinosus



Chaetonotus (H. ) lucksi



Chaetonotus (H. ) luxus



Chaetonotus (H. ) machikanensis



Chaetonotus (H. ) macrochaetus



Chaetonotus (H. ) mirabilis



Chaetonotus (H. ) murrayi

159 µm - 160 µm
Ventral scales: 2 long, thin terminal plates with short spines; 7-8 rows of small keel scales (1µm - 3µm)
Particularities: Toes naked; rigidly protruding spines are very typical


Chaetonotus (H. ) novenarius

106 µm - 193 µm
Dorsal scales: 7 rows on the head, 12 on the trunk, each with 14-15 three-lobed, keeled scales (3-6 µm), which do not overlap and are short and delicately spined (10 µm); two rows of longer spines at the head end. Very long spines with two secondary tips (26-50 µm) in a relatively narrow field on the anterior trunk
Ventral scales: 2 elongate-oval, keeled terminal plates (6.6µm x 4µm) with two simple spines; 4-6 rows with 40 oval keel scales each. Own observation: in pharyngeal region rectangular transverse claspers
Particularities: easily delimited by the long spines that emerge from a narrow field


Chaetonotus (H. ) octonarius



Chaetonotus (H. ) optabilis