Chaetonotus (Schizochaetonotus) atrox Wilke, 1954

Chatterjee, Tapas & Todaro, M. Antonio, 2021, An annotated checklist of the chaetonotidan Gastrotricha from India, Zootaxa 5027 (3), pp. 332-350 : 338

Chaetonotus (Schizochaetonotus) atrox Wilke, 1954

Records from India. ANDHRA PRADESH: Bhimilipatnam, Visakhapatnam— Ganapati & Rao (1967), Sarma & Mohan (1981); ODISHA: Gopalpur, Bahuda estuary— Rao (1989). ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS: Bomilla creek, East Bay, Hut Bay, Little Andaman— Rao (1980, 1993); LAKSHADWEEP: Kavaratti, Minicoy— Rao (1991); GENERAL RECORD: Naidu & Rao (2004).

Habitat (as in Indian records). Marine, intertidal; fine and medium sands, 5 cm below surface between low and high water levels.

Distribution. Cosmopolitan.

Remarks. The Indian specimens agree with morphometric information on the species provided originally by Wilke (1954) from the Mediterranean Sea. We found in the morphometric account of the species provided by Naidu & Rao (2004) some incongruences with the known morphology of this taxon. First, they report the presence of refractile bodies on the head (presumably eye spots) and second, the say the anus is dorsal. Neither of these traits applies to C. atrox . Moreover, in the legend of Figure 65 they indicate Ferraguti (1996) as the original author of the provided figure. Likely this is material error, because in the references such a paper is not listed and prof. M. Ferraguti (University of Milan), author of many papers regarding the spermatology and reproductive system of the Gastrotricha, denies he is the author of that drawing (personal communication to MAT).