Habrotrocha soror Donner, 1950

Song, Min Ok & Lee, Chang-Ho, 2023, Four bdelloid rotifers new to Korea, Journal of Species Research 12 (2), pp. 115-121 : 116

1. Habrotrocha soror Donner, 1950

ǖḍffiữṞệ (ṳḑ)

Habrotrocha soror Donner, 1950, pp. 326 - 327 , figs. 19a - d; Donner, 1980, p. 132, fig. 2a.

Material examined. One specimen found from mosses at Seorim-ri, Seo-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, 37° 57′35.8″N, 128°31′0.8″E, on 27 June 2021.

Diagnosis. Rostrum long; twice as long as its width. Pharyngeal tube very long and wavy; one and half as long as trophi length. Gastric glands big, very long and filled with coarse granules. Preanal pseudosegment constricted posteriorly. Anal pseudosegment plump anteriorly and tapering gradually to foot. Foot short. Spurs short, conical and with wide interspace; interspace one and half times as wide as spur base.

Measurements. Total length in creeping 211 - 215 μm. Greatest trunk width in creeping 26 - 28 μm. Greatest rump width in creeping 24 - 26 μm. Greatest neck width in creeping 26 - 28 μm. Spur length 5 μm.

Remarks. One of the significant diagnostic characteristics of H. soror is the big and long gastric glands, which are filled with coarse granules. In bdelloids, gastric glands are usually round, and much smaller than mastax. In H. soror , the gastric glands are long, narrow sac-shaped, and much longer than trophi length.

This species has been reported from Brazil ( Donner, 1980) after the original description from Austria by Donner (1950). The present study is the third report of this species globally, and the first one from Asia.

World distribution. Austria, Brazil and Korea.

Deposition. Deposited in the collection of the Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea ( NNIBR2021523 IV8274) .