Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Marine gastrotrichs from the sand beaches of the northern Gulf of Mexico: species list and distribution

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this meio-faunistic survey along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, gastrotrichs were found in sand collected mostly from beaches on barrier islands. Sediment from Florida and Alabama contained the largest species number. South Texas collecting sites also hosted a very diverse gastrotrich fauna. Paucitubulate Chaetonotida, previously unreported from the area, accounted for about one half of the 45 species encountered. After comparing local specimens also with high resolution videosequences of individuals collected from distant geographic regions, the amphi-Atlantic and/or cosmopolitan distribution of 27 of these species, is confirmed.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balsamo, M. & M. A. Todaro, 1988. Life history traits of two chaetonotids (Gastrotricha) under different experimental conditions. Int. J. Inverteb. Reprod. Dev. 14: 161–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balsamo, M., M. A. Todaro & P. Tongiorgi, 1992. Marine Gastrotrichs from the Tuscan Archipelago (Tyrrhenian Sea): II. Chaetonotida, with description of three new species. Boll. Zool. 59: 487–498.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boaden, P. J. S., 1960. Three new gastrotrichs from the Swedish west cost. Cah. Biol. Mar. 1: 397–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boaden, P. J. S., 1976. Soft meiofauna of sand from the delta region of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. Neth. J. Sea Res. 10: 461–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Britton, J. C. & B. Morton, 1989. Shore ecology of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin, 387 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, C., 1992. Two new species of Thaumastoderma (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida) from the west coast of Norway. Sarsia 76: 157–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coull, B. C., 1885. Long-term variability of estuarine meiobenthos: an 11 year study. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 24: 205–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, W. A., 1992. Five new species of marine Gastrotricha from the Atlantic coast of Florida. Bull. mar. Sci. 51: 315–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, W. A., 1994. Morphological variability in warm-temperate and subtropical populations of Macrodasys (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida: Macrodasyidae) with the description of seven new species. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 107: 239–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, W. A. & W. D. Hummon, 1991. A new genus and species of Gastrotricha from the Atlantic coast of Florida, USA. Trans. Amer. Microsc. Soc. 110: 321–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, C. A. & E. N. Powell, 1986. Meiofauna and the sulfide system: the effects of oxygen and the sulfide on the adenylate pool of three turbellarians and a gastrotrich. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 85A: 37–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friauf, J. J., 1968. Psammolittoral Gastrotricha (Macrodasyoidea) of the Mississippi Sound area. Bulletin of the Association of Southern Biologists l5: 38-(abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Giere, O., 1993. Meiobenthology: The microscopic fauna in aquatic sediment. Spring-Verlang, Berlin, 328 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giere, O., A. Eleftheriou & D. J. Murison, 1988. Abiotic factors. In R. P. Higgins & H. Thiel (eds), Introduction to the Study of Meiofauna. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.: 61–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D., 1972. Dispersion of Gastrotricha in a marine beach of the San Juan Archipelago, Washington. Mar. Biol. 16: 349–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D., 1975. Respiratory and osmoregulatory physiology of a meiobenthic marine gastrotrich, Turbanella ocellata Hummon, 1974. Cah. Biol. mar. 16: 255–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D., 1976. Seasonal changes in secondary production, faunal similarity and biological accommodation, related to stability among the Gastrotricha of two semi-enclosed Scottish beaches. In: G. Persoone & E. Jaspers (eds), Proc. of 10th European symp. Mar. Biol. 2: 309–336. Universa Press, Wetteren, Belgium.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D. & M. R. Hummon, 1992. Marine Gastrotricha of Israel. Preliminary report. Am. Zool. 32 115A (Abstract).

  • Hummon, W. D. & M. R. Hummon, l993. Marine Gastrotricha of Greece: Biogeographic data from collections in 1993. Am. Zool. 33: 117A.

  • Hummon, W. D. & R. M. Warwick, 1990. The marine flora and fauna of the Isles of Scilly — Gastrotricha. J. Nat. Hist. 24: 519–525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D., M. Balsamo & M. A. Todaro, 1992. Italian Marine Gastrotricha: I. Six new and one redescribed species of Chaetonotida. Boll. Zool. 59: 499–516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummon, W. D., M. A. Todaro & M. R. Hummon, 1990. Marine Gastrotricha of the central Mediterranean Sea. Am. Zool. 31: 20A (Abstract).

  • Hummon, W. D., M. A. Todaro & P. Tongiorgi, 1993. Italian marine Gastrotricha: II. One new genus and ten new species of Macrodasyida. Boll. Zool. 60: l09–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jouk, P. E. H., W. D. Hummon, M. R. Hummon & E. Roidou, 1992. Marine Gastrotricha from the Belgian coast: species list and distribution. Bull. Ist. Royal Sci. Natur. 62: 87–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kisielewski, J., 1987. New records of marine Gastrotricha from the French coasts of Manche and Atlantic 1. Macrodasyida, with descriptions of seven new species. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris 9: 837–877.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kisielewski, J., 1988. New records of marine Gastrotricha from the French coasts of Manche and Atlantic. II. Chaetonotida, with descriptions of four new species. Cah. Biol. mar. 29: 187–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers, M. B., H. Fossing & E. N. Powell, 1987. Microdistribution of interstitial meiofauna, oxygen and sulfide gradients, of the tubes of macro-fauna. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 35: 223–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers, M. B., E. N. Powell & H. Fossing, 1988. Movement of oxybiotic and thiobiothic meiofauna in response to changes in pore-water oxygen and sulfide gradients around macro-infaunal tubes. Mar. Biol. 98: 395–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, M. A., 1988. Dispersal of marine meiofauna: a review and conceptual model explaining passive transport and active emergence with implications for recruitment. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 48: 81–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfannkuche, O. & H. Thiel, 1988. Sample processing. In: R. P. Higgins & H. Thiel (eds), Introduction to the Study of Meiofauna. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.: 134–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, G. C. & P. N. Ganapati, 1968. Some new interstitial Gastrotrichs from the beach sands of Waltair coast. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 66B: 214–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruppert, E. E., 1977. Zoogeography and speciation in marine Gastrotricha. Mikrofauna Meeresbodens 61: 231–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruppert, E. E., K. Shaw, 1977. The reproductive system of gastrotrichs. I. Introduction with morphological data for two Dolichodasys species. Zool. Scrip. 6: 185–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruppert, E. E., 1978. The reproductive system of gastrotrichs. III. Genital organs of Thaumastodermatinae subfam. n. and Diplodasyinae subfam. n. with discussion of reproduction in Macrodasyida. Zool. Scrip. 7: 93–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc., 1990. SAS user's guide: Statistics, Version 5 Edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saito I., 1937. Neue und bekannte Gastrotrichen der Umgebung von Hiroschima (Japan). J. Sci. Hiroshima Univ. 5: 245–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seward-Thompson, B. L & J. R. Hails, 1973. An appraisal of the computation of statistical parameters in grain size analysis. Sedimentology 20: 161–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterrer, W., 1973. Plate tectonics as mechanism for dispersal and speciation in interstitial sand fauna. Neth. J. Sea Res. 7: 200–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todaro, M. A., 1992. Contribution to the study of the Mediterranean meiofauna: Gastrotricha from the Island of Ponza, Italy. Boll. Zool. 59: 321–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todaro, M. A., 1994. Chaetonotus triacanthus and Heteroxenotrichula texana, two new chaetonotid gastrotrichs from the Gulf of Mexico. Trans. Am. Microsc. Soc. 113: 15–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todaro, M. A., M. Balsamo & P. Tongiorgi, 1992. Marine gastrotrichs from the Tuscan Archipelago (Tyrrhenian Sea): I. Macrodasyida, with description of three new species. Boll. Zool. 59: 47l-485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todaro, M. A., W. A. Evans & Hummon, 1991. Marine Gastrotricha from Florida: status. Am. Zool. 31: 107A: No 534 (Abstract).

  • Valbonesi, A. & P. Luporini, 1984. Researches on the coast of Somalia. Gastrotricha Macrodasyoidea. Monit. zool. ital. Suppl. 1: l34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valbonesi, A. & P. Luporini, 1987. Researches on the coast of Somalia. Gastrotricha Chaetonotoidea. Monit. zool. ital. Suppl. 14: 235–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieser, W., 1957. Gastrotricha Macrodasyoidea from the intertidal of Puget Sound. Trans. am. Microsc. Soc. 76: 372–38l.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieser, W., 1959. The effect of grain size on the distribution of small invertebrate inhabiting the beaches of Puget Sound. Limnol. Oceanogr. 4: 181–194.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Physiology, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    M. Antonio Todaro & John W. Fleeger

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 45701, Athens, Ohio, USA

    William D. Hummon

Authors
  1. M. Antonio Todaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John W. Fleeger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. William D. Hummon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Todaro, M.A., Fleeger, J.W. & Hummon, W.D. Marine gastrotrichs from the sand beaches of the northern Gulf of Mexico: species list and distribution. Hydrobiologia 310, 107–117 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00015529

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00015529

Key words

Search

Navigation