TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ben Marnissi, Jamila
A1  - Cesari, Michele
A1  - Rebecchi, Lorena
A1  - Bertolani, Roberto
T1  - Integrative description of a new Tunisian tardigrade species, Macrobiotus azzunae sp. nov. (Eutardigrada, Macrobiotidae, hufelandi group)
T2  - European journal of taxonomy
N2  - In this paper a new tardigrade species, Macrobiotus azzunae sp. nov., from Tunisia, is described. An integrative taxonomic approach was applied by combining morphological, morphometric and molecular data. In particular, light and scanning electron microscopy observations, and four genetic markers, three nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and ITS-2) and one mitochondrial (COI) were used. The analysis showed that M. azzunae sp. nov. belongs to the Macrobiotus hufelandi group and is most similar to Macrobiotus sandrae Bertolani & Rebecchi, 1993. It differs from M. sandrae by a more pronounced constriction of the first macroplacoid (hardly visible in M. sandrae) and for the eggshell shape, with thinner wires of the reticulum and meshes around the processes larger than the inter-process meshes in M. azzunae sp. nov., while all meshes are similar in size in M. sandrae. The species is gonochoristic. With this discovery, there are 33 species of tardigrades identified in Tunisia, all non-marine. This result, compared with nearby Sicily, where more research has been conducted, indicates that there is a considerable potential for identification of new species. Further research will be most informative if multiple habitats are explored and if carried out with an integrated approach as done in this present work.
T3  - European journal of taxonomy  : EJT - 758:122–146 
KW  - Tardigrada
KW  - Ain Soltan Forest
KW  - Tunisia
KW  - Macrobiotus azzunae
KW  - new species
Y1  - 2021
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/61365
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-613656
SN  - 2118-9773
VL  - 2021
IS  - 758
SP  - 122
EP  - 146
PB  - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
CY  - Paris
ER  -