Crenubiotus liangshuiensis Zhang, Sun, Wang, Hao, Ma, Zhao, Li, Zhao & Yang, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Jing-Yu
name: Sun, Xue-Ling
name: Wang, Ning
name: Hao, Li
name: Ma, Cheng-Xue
name: Zhao, Na
name: Li, He- Ping
name: Zhao, Min
name: Yang, Sheng-Tao
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Tardigrada
Eutardigrada
Parachela
Richtersiidae
Crenubiotus
Crenubiotus liangshuiensis

description: Crenubiotus liangshuiensis sp. nov. (Figs 2–6, Table 2)
Material examined: 11 specimens and 1 egg mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium, 1 specimen fixed on a SEM stub, and 12 specimens processed for DNA sequencing.
Type locality: 47º11′03.8″N, 128º53′45.6″E; 416 m asl: China, Yichun, Liangshui National Nature Reserve. Substrate: moss on fallen logs.
Etymology: The new species is named after the Liangshui National Nature Reserve, where it was discovered.
Type depositories: The holotype, 10 paratypes (slide Nos. NMS0011–21) and 1 egg (NMS0022) are deposited in the Physiology Lab, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Description of the new species. Length up to 291 µm, colourless, eyes present. Body cuticle with numerous irregular pores (Fig. 2), large quadrangular pores up to 1.2×2.9 µm in diameter (Fig. 3B) and small, elliptical pores about 0.5 µm in diameter, all evident in PCM and NCM, as well as in SEM. The small elliptical pores are distributed randomly on the entire body cuticle (Fig. 2), and the larger irregular quadrangular pores are mostly distributed in the middle of each segment, forming 9–10 transverse bands on the dorsum (Fig. 2B), slightly larger in size on the caudal portion of the body. Pore bands clearly distinguishable under LCM. Evident bulges are present on the external and lateral portions of the leg I–III surface (Fig. 3C, Fig. 4A). The granulation is present on all legs (e.g. Fig. 4E). Small cuticular tubercles are present in a dorso-lateral caudal band just anterior to the hind legs (Fig. 3D) and on the dorsal cuticle of legs IV, with some sparse tubercles present on the internal side of legs IV (Fig. 3A). Claws are slender, of the richtersiusid type (Fig. 4). Primary branches with distinct accessory points, a long, common tract with a system of internal septa, the common tract apparently longer than half of the entire claw height.
The bucco-pharyngeal apparatus is of the Macrobiotus type, pharynx with triangular apophyses, two rodshaped macroplacoids (2<1), and a microplacoid close to the second macroplacoid (Fig. 5). The first macroplacoid is anteriorly narrowed and constricted in the middle, whereas the second has a subterminal constriction.
The egg is white, spherical, with conical processes comprising a main body and a distal elongated and flexible portion (Fig. 6). Some process apices are bifurcated and may contain internal septa forming a single distal bubble (Fig. 6D). The single egg found has a diameter of 73.4 µm including the processes and 52.1 µm without them; there are about 16 processes on the circumference. The processes are 12.2 µm high and have a basal diameter of 9.4 µm (average values of four processes).
description: Published as part of Zhang, Jing-Yu, Sun, Xue-Ling, Wang, Ning, Hao, Li, Ma, Cheng-Xue, Zhao, Na, Li, He- Ping, Zhao, Min & Yang, Sheng-Tao, 2024, Tardigrades in the alpine region of Northeast China with an integrative description of Crenubiotus liangshuiensis sp. nov., pp. 96-108 in Zootaxa 5492 (1) on pages 100-102, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5492.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/13212067