Ichthydium (Ichthydium) auritum Brunson, 1950

Chatterjee, Tapas & Todaro, M. Antonio, 2021, An annotated checklist of the chaetonotidan Gastrotricha from India, Zootaxa 5027 (3), pp. 332-350 : 341

Ichthydium (Ichthydium) auritum Brunson, 1950

Records from India. WEST BENGAL: Achipur in South 24 Parganas District — Sharma (1980) ; MEGHALAYA: Sharma & Sharma (1990); GENERAL RECORD: Naidu & Rao (2004).

Habitat (as in Indian records): Freshwater; among filamentous algae and aquatic plants.

Distribution. USA and India.

Remarks. Naidu & Rao (2004), following Schwank’s (1990) classification indicate several species as belonging to the subgenus Euichthydium . However, as explained by Kånneby et al. (2009), the subgenus Euichthydium Schwank, 1990 is invalid because it contains the type-species of the genus Ichthydium , therefore it must bear the same name as the genus.

Ichthydium auritum was found in India twice and both records are from West Bengal ( Sharma 1980; Sharma & Sharma 1990). The specimens found match the original description especially in showing the posterior lobes of the head in the form of ear-like flaps. Regarding this latter detail Sharma (1980) considered Ichthydium sp. previously found in Andhra Pradesh by Rao & Mohan (1984) to be a different species, whose taxonomic status remains to be established. We agree with Sharma’s hypothesis.