Culexiregiloricus
| Culexiregiloricus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Loricifera |
| Order: | Nanaloricida |
| Family: | Nanaloricidae |
| Genus: | Culexiregiloricus Gad, 2009 |
Culexiregiloricus is a monospecific genus, with the species Culexiregiloricus trichiscalida. Like its phylum, it lives in argillaceous sediment.[1]
Taxonomy
In the spring of 2005, the sample in which the species was found in was taken from a depth of 4,141 meters from the Guinea Basin. The top five centimeters of the sample were taken along with the water directly on top of it. The water was filtered through a 40 μm netting. The meiobenthos1 were acquired through differential flotation. Levasil, a gelatinous silica gel was added, then centrifugal force separated them. It was spun at 4,000 rpm, then species were classified morphologically.[2]
Traits
Mouth
This species is characterized by its long mouth tube. It also has a short mouth cone.[1]
Scalids
The second and third rows of scalids (threadlike parts that extend from the introvert) are covered with hair like structures.[1]
Lorica
The lorica (abdomen) is divided into eight plates. Six of these are wide, and two are thin. The lorica has fourteen spikes.[1]
Caudal end
The lowest part of its body has a wide abdominal plate. It is surrounded on either side by large elevated cuticular ridges.[1]
Notes
^1 The animals at the bottom of the ocean/sea that are larger than microfauna and smaller than macrofauna.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gad, Gunnar (2009-05-11). "Culexiregiloricus, a new genus of Nanaloricidae (Loricifera) from the deep sea of the Guinea Basin (Southeast Atlantic)". Zootaxa. 2096 (1): 33–49. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2096.1.5. ISSN 1175-5334.
- ↑ Gad, Gunnar (11 May 2009). "Culexiregiloricus, a new genus of Nanaloricidae (Loricifera) from the deep sea of the Guinea Basin (Southeast Atlantic)*" (PDF). Wilhelmshaven, Germany: Magnolia Press. Retrieved 25 July 2026 – via pdf.