Styraconyx qivitoq Kristensen & Higgins 1984
- Dataset
- The Zoogeography of Marine Tardigrada
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Tardigrada
- class
- Heterotardigrada
- order
- Arthrotardigrada
- family
- Halechiniscidae
- genus
- Styraconyx
- species
- Styraconyx qivitoq
discussion
Remarks: This species from the hallasi group was described from deep, subtidal localities off the coast of Greenland, but was later reported from the shallow subtidal zone in the Mediterranean basin (also in marine caves), and warm water in the tropical zone of the Indian Ocean. Recently, it has been reported from the deep subtidal zone of Faroe Bank and the shallow subtidal zone in the Black Sea. In our opinion, similar to S. nanoqsunguak, specimens of S. qivitoq from the Mediterranean basin and tropical waters need re-examination to be sure they belong to this species (see remarks for S. nanoqsunguak). Kristensen & Higgins (1984 a) described this species as parasitic on bryozoans. It is similar to another parasite: Styraconyxinae, Tetrakentron synaptae, which feeds on its host, the holothurian Leptosynapta galliennei.