Archechiniscus bahamensis


Archechiniscus bahamensis is a species of marine tardigrade in the family Archechiniscidae known from the Bahamas and Jamaica.

Description

It has large, dark brown eyes and cuticular metameric folds which create clearly demarked cephalic and terminal segments. The cuticle is with fine punctation. The female body is 169 µm long and 69 µm wide. It has stubby, non-telescopic legs.

Distribution and habitat

The species is known from shallow marine sediments of the Bahamas, where it inhabits interstitial spaces between sand grains and forms part of the meiofauna community. It lives in coastal marine environments of the western Atlantic, typical for species of Arthrotardigrada.