Abstract
Tardigrada is a phylum closely allied with the arthropods. They are usually less than 0.5 mm in length, have four pairs of lobe-like legs and are either carnivorous or feed on plant material. Most of the 900+ described tardigrade species are limnoterrestrial and live in the thin film of water on the surface of moss, lichens, algae, and other plants and depend on water to remain active and complete their life cycle. In this review of 910 tardigrade species, only 62 species representing13 genera are truly aquatic and not found in limnoterrestrial habitats although many other genera contain limnoterrestrial species occasionally found in freshwater.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguinaldo, A. M., J. M. Turbeville, L. S. Linford, M. C. Rivera, J. R. Garey, R. A. Raff & J. A. Lake, 1997. Evidence for a clade of nematodes, arthropods, and other moulting animals. Nature 387: 489–493.
Bertolani, R., 1982. 15. Tardigradi. Guide per il Riconoscimento delle Specie Animali delle Acque Interne Italiane, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerched, Verona, Italy, pp. 104.
Bertolani, R., 2001. Evolution of the reproductive mechanisms in tardigrades. A review. Zoologischer Anzeiger 240: 247–252.
Garey, J. R., 2006. The biology of tardigrades: and introduction to the 9th international symposium on Tardigrada. Hydrobiologia 558: 1–3.
Guidetti, R. & R. Bertolani, 2005. Tardigrade taxonomy: an updated check list of the taxa and a list of characters for their identification. Zootaxa 845: 1–46.
Guidetti, R. & K. I. Jönsson, 2002. Long-term anhydrobiotic survival in semi-terrestrial micrometazoans. Journal of Zoology, London 257: 181–187.
Hohl, A. M., W. R. Miller & D. Nelson, 2001. The distribution of tardigrades upwind and downwind of a Missouri Coal-burning power plant. Zoolischer Anzeiger 240: 395–401.
Kinchin, I. M., 1994. The Biology of Tardigrades. Portland Press, London.
McInnes, S. J. & P. J. A. Pugh, 1998. Biogeography of limno-terrestrial Tardigrada with particular reference to the Antarctic Fauna. Journal of Biogeography 25: 31–36.
Nelson, D. R., 2001. Tardigrada, In Thorp J. H. & A. P. Covich (eds), Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates, 2nd edn. Academic Press, New York: 527–550.
Nelson, D. R., 2002. Current status of the Tardigrada: evolution and ecology. Integrative and Comparative Biology 42: 652–659.
Nelson, D. R. & N. J. Marley, 2000. The Biology and ecology of lotic Tardigrada. Freshwater Biology 44:93–108.
Nichols, P. B., D. R. Nelson & J. R. Garey, 2006. A family level analysis of tardigrade phylogeny. Hydrobiologia 558: 53–60.
Pilato, G., 1969. Evoluzione e Nuova Sistemazione degli Eutardigrada. Bolletino di Zoologia 36: 327–345.
Pilato, G. & M. G. Binda, 2001. Biogeography and Limno-terrestrial Tardigrades: are they truly incompatible binomials? Zoologischer Anzeiger 249: 511–516.
Ramazzotti, G. & W. Maucci, 1983. Il Phylum Tardigrada, 3rd edn. (C. W. Beasley, English Translation). Memorie dell’Istituto Italiono di Idrobiologia 41: 1–1012.
Somme, L., 1996. Anhydrobiosis and cold tolerance in tardigrades. European Journal of Entomology 93: 349–57.
Steiner, W. A., 1994. The influence of air pollution on moss-dwelling animals. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 101: 699–724.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Guest editors: E.V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens
Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garey, J.R., McInnes, S.J. & Nichols, P.B. Global diversity of tardigrades (Tardigrada) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595, 101–106 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9123-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9123-0