New species and new records of freshwater Chaetonotida (Gastrotricha) from Sweden

Abstract

Gastrotricha is a small phylum of acoelomatic aquatic invertebrates common in both marine and freshwater environments. The freshwater gastrotrich fauna of Sweden is poorly known and to date only twenty species have been reported. In this study two species of the genus Heterolepidoderma: Heterolepidoderma joermungandri n. sp. and H. trapezoidum n. sp. are described as new to science. Moreover nine species are presented as new to the Swedish fauna. Additional taxonomic information is also given for four species previously reported from the country. In total 7 genera spanning two families, Chaetonotidae and Dasydytidae, are presented and the number of reported freshwater gastrotrichs from the country is increased to 31.</p