Quisarctus gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Halechiniscidae with cylindrical body; primary clava and lateral cirrus arise from common cirrophore; primary clava longer than lateral cirrus; secondary clava undeveloped; stylet supports present; leg IV sense organ as elongate papilla with distal spine; legs terminate in digits without folds, peduncles, proximal pads, pretarsi or wrinkles; internal digits longer than external digits; each digit terminates in sheathed, small, crescent-shaped claw with minute calcar; pair of ventrally opening seminal receptacles each with slender, sinuous duct terminating in spherical vesicle.

Etymology. The generic epithet is a combination of Quis, a latin word for ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ referring to the author’s first impression of this animal, and arctus, a Latinised Greek word for ‘bear’ referring to the common name of tardigrades.

Type species. Quisarctus yasumurai sp. nov.