Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Plastron respiration in marine intertidal oribatid mites (Acari, Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Zoomorphology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Plastron respiration was investigated in the fortuyniid Alismobates inexpectatus, Fortuynia atlantica and the selenoribatid Carinozetes bermudensis. All these taxa inhabit intertidal zones of subtropical and tropical coasts and are exposed to tidal flooding. The utilization of plastron mechanisms enables these species to respire under water. Cerotegumental structures consisting of micropapillae and pillars bearing an outer sheet provide extensive areas where air is retained supplying the tracheal system with oxygen. A. inexpectatus and F. atlantica possess a dorsal and ventral plastron connected laterally by cuticular channels of the van der Hammen’s organ, whereas the specific configuration of these channels varies between the genera. The plastron of Carinozetes species spans the whole body except for all movable parts as legs and genital and anal valves. Plastron structures in juveniles of the families Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae were investigated for the first time in detail. Air-retaining cerotegument is also present in immatures of these taxa but is concentrated along lateral and ventral folds where series of pores lead into supposed tracheal organs. In juveniles of A. inexpectatus and F. atlantica, these organs are tubes with a length of approximately 3–15 μm, and in Carinozetes immatures, these organs are short saccules (0.5–1 μm).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adis J, Messner B (1997) Adaptations to life under water: tiger beetles and millipedes. Ecol Stud 126:319–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Coons LB (1999) Acari-Mites. In: Harrison FW (ed) Microscopic anatomy of invertebrates, vol 8c. Wiley, New York, pp 515–1265

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Storch V, Renner H (1981) Über den feinstrukturellen Aufbau der Milbencuticula (Acari, Arachnida). Zool Jb Anat 105:183–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Norton RA, Adis J, Fernandez NA, Franklin E, Kratzmann M, Moreno AI, Weigmann G, Woas S (1997) Porose integumental organs of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida): 2. Fine structure. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 48(146):33–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Behan-Pelletier VM (1987) Redefinition of Ametroproctus (Acari: Oribatida) with description of new species. Can Entomol 119:505–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behan-Pelletier VM (1997) The semiaquatic genus Tegeocranellus (Acari: Oribatida: Ameronothroidea) of North and Central America. Can Entomol 129:537–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fielden LJ, Knolhoff LM, Villarreal SM, Ryan P (2011) Underwater survival in the dog tick Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae). J Insect Physiol 57:21–26

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grandjean F (1934) Les organes respiratoires secondaires des Oribates. Ann Soc Entomol Fr 3:109–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebets EA, Chapman RF (2000) Surviving the flood: plastron respiration in the non-tracheate arthropod Phrynus marginemaculatus (Amblypygi: Arachnida). J Insect Physiol 46:13–19

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton HE (1960) The chorionic plastron and its role in the eggs of the Muscinae (Diptera). Q J Microsc Sci 101:313–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinton HE (1969) Respiratory systems of insect egg-shells. Annu Rev Entomol 14:343–368

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton HE (1971) Plastron respiration in the mite, Platyseius italicus. J Insect Physiol 17:1185–1199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krantz GW, Baker GT (1982) Observations on the plastron mechanism of Hydrozetes sp. (Acari: Oribatida: Hydrozetidae). Acarologia 23:273–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Luxton M (1986) A new species of Fortuynia (Acari: Cryptostigmata) from the marine littoral of Kenya. J Nat Hist 20:65–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Messner B, Adis J (1995) Es gibt nur fakultative Plastronatmer unter den tauchenden Webespinnen. Dtsch Entomol Z 42:453–459

    Google Scholar 

  • Messner B, Adis J, Franklin Ribeiro E (1992) A comparative study on plastron structures in mites (Acari). Dtsch Entomol Z 39:159–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norton RA, Graham TB, Alberti G (1997a) A rotifer-eating ameronothrid (Acari: Ameronothridae) mite from ephemeral pools on the Colorado Plateau. In: Mitchell R, Horn JD, Needham GR, Welbourn WC (eds) Acarology IX. Proceedings of the 9th international congress of acarology. Ohio Biol Survey, Columbus, pp 539–542

  • Norton RA, Alberti G, Weigmann G, Woas S (1997b) Porose integumental organs of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida): 1. Overview of types and distribution. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 48(146):1–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfingstl T (2013a) Resistance to fresh and salt water in intertidal mites (Acari: Oribatida): implications for ecology and hydrochorous dispersal. Exp Appl Acarol 61:87–96

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pfingstl T (2013b) Habitat use, feeding and reproductive traits of rocky-shore intertidal mites from Bermuda (Acari: Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae). Acarologia 53:369–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfingstl T, Krisper G (2011) Juvenile stages of the arboricolous mite Cymbaeremaeus cymba (Nicolet, 1855) (Acari: Oribatida: Cymbaeremaeidae). Int J Acarol 37:175–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfingstl T, Schuster R (2012a) First record of the littoral genus Alismobates (Acari: Oribatida) from the Atlantic ocean, with a redefinition of the family Fortuyniidae based on adult and juvenile morphology. Zootaxa 3301:1–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfingstl T, Schuster R (2012b) Carinozetes nov. gen. (Acari: Oribatida) from Bermuda and remarks on the present status of the Family Selenoribatidae. Acarologia 52:377–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pugh PJA, King PE, Fordy MR (1987a) The structure and probable function of the peritreme in intertidal Gamasina (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Zool J Linn Soc 89:393–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pugh PJA, King PE, Fordy MR (1987b) A comparison of the structure and function of the cerotegument in two species of Cryptostigmata (Acarina). J Nat Hist 21:603–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pugh PJA, King PE, Fordy MR (1990) Respiration in Fortuynia maculata Luxton (Fortuyniidae: Cryptostigmata: Acarina) with particular reference to the role of van der Hammen’s organ. J Nat Hist 24:1529–1547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raspotnig G, Matischek T (2010) Anti-wetting strategies of soil-dwelling Oribatida (Acari). Acta Soc Zool Bohem 74:91–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Rounsevell DE, Greenslade P (1988) Cuticle structure and habitat in the Nanorchestidae (Acari: Prostigmata). Hydrobiologia 165:209–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuster R (1966) Hornmilben (Oribatei) als Bewohner des marinen Litorals. Veröffentl Inst Meeresforsch Bremerhaven, Sonderband II (6. Meeresbiol. Symposion, Bremerhaven 1965): 319–327

  • Thorpe WH, Crisp DJ (1947) Studies on plastron respiration. I. The biology of Aphelocheirus (Hemiptera, Aphelocheiridae, Naucoridae) and the mechanism of plastron respiration. J Exp Biol 24:227–269

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van der Hammen L (1960) Fortuynia marina gen. nov., sp. nov., an oribatid mite from the intertidal zone in Netherlands New Guinea. Zool Meded 37:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Hammen L (1963) Description of Fortuynia yunkeri nov. spec., and notes on the Fortuyniidae nov. fam. Acarologia 5:152–167

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) Inc. and its staff for their manifold support. T. P. also wants to thank Wolfgang Sterrer for being a great mentor. T. P. is grateful to Reinhart Schuster for inspiring his research on intertidal mites. We give thanks to Roy Norton for references and to the Centre for Electron Microscopy Graz (FELMI) for realizing the electron micrographs. The research was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF): [J3150].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Tobias Pfingstl & Günther Krisper

Authors
  1. Tobias Pfingstl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Günther Krisper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tobias Pfingstl.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Schmidt-Rhaesa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pfingstl, T., Krisper, G. Plastron respiration in marine intertidal oribatid mites (Acari, Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae). Zoomorphology 133, 359–378 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-014-0228-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-014-0228-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation