Trogloarctus trionyches Villora-Moreno, 1996

Kaczmarek, Łukasz, Bartels, Paul J., Roszkowska, Milena & Nelson, Diane R., 2015, The Zoogeography of Marine Tardigrada, Zootaxa 4037 (1), pp. 1-189 : 43

39. Trogloarctus trionyches Villora-Moreno, 1996

Trogloarctus trionyches gen. et sp. n. (Villora-Moreno 1996)

Terra typica : Mediterranean Sea ( France, Europe)

Mediterranean Sea:

• 43°10′N, 05°37′E; 15–25 m bsl: [FAO37] France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, near La Ciotat, “Trois Pépés” cave, 100 m from the entrance of the cave opening, 0–2 cm depth in sediment, muddy sediment. Villora-Moreno (1996)

Record numbers (Sea/Ocean classification): Mediterranean Sea: 1; total: 1.

Record numbers (FAO classification): FAO37: 1; total: 1.

Remarks: This subtidal troglobiotic species is from the deep sea family Coronarctidae , and Villora-Moreno (1996) observed many similarities between Trogloarctus and Coronarctus genera. The possibility of a deep sea origin for this species/genus was discussed, along with the suggestion that cave environments provide refugia and can have environmental conditions similar to those in the deep sea (Villora-Moreno 1996). Further studies are required to verify this statement (see also P. mirabilis below).