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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Adineta

Adineta Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 7849)

Quote from ref. ID; 3536

Class Digononta: Order Bdelloidea: Family Adinetidae (ref. ID; 6806)

Order Adinetida: Family Adinetidae (ref. ID; 6565)

Synonym Planotrocha Plate, 1888 (ref. ID; 3137), Planotrochus Plate, 1886 (ref. ID; 3688)

Most confused Bradyscela.

ref. ID; 1663

Rostrum imperfect. Corona cannot be retracted within mouth. No ciliary wreaths but only with cilia distributed on corona. Unable to swim. Foot slender, with two spurs and three toes. In mosses and shallow littoral. (ref. ID; 1663)

ref. ID; 1923

Spindle-shaped. Head wider than neck. (ref. ID; 1923)

ref. ID; 2892

Adineta occurs occasionally in plankton collected over sandy or gravel substrata. Most are soil and moss dwellers. The corona is a flat, ventrally situated ciliated area, with a rake apparatus anterior to the mouth. A. gracilis, however, possesses only an inwardly directed spine pair instead of the rake apparatus. Teeth 2/2, 3 toes. (ref. ID; 2892)

ref. ID; 3137

The body is long protruded and flat. In front and in the middle the body is extended. The rostrum is short, broad, and irretractible, the rostral lamellae are stunted in various ways. The foot is long, four- or five-jointed, and narrow. The toes are fairly long, and there are always three. D.f.: 2/2. The eye-spots are usually lacking (one exception). One species is viviparous, the rest oviparous. (ref. ID; 3137)

ref. ID; 3334

Rotifers in this small group lack the normal bdelloid wheel organ of separate trochal circle on pedicels. The rostrum is short, broad and unable to be retracted. The corona consists of two, flat ciliated areas on the ventral side of the head, which are separated by a narrow longitudinal groove. The body is spindle-shaped and the head is wider than the neck. The stomach has a distinct and ciliated lumen. The foot is narrow and fairly long with two spurs and three toes. Eyespots are usually absent. All members of the genus are oviparous, except A. grandis. The mastax has ramate trophi and a dental formula of 2/2. Adinetids do not swim but creep caterpillar fashion, or glide over the bottom. (ref. ID; 3334)

ref. ID; 7849

Rotifers can easily be recognized in the substrate by their sudden contractions and their smooth movements. Their body is long, the head mostly oval and flattened. The rostrum is always visible and bears lamellae and sometimes small auricles. At their ends, they bear cilia of different length. The ciliated organ is characteristic for the genus. On both sides of the mouth opening, there is a rake apparatus with teeth pointing forwards. The trophi is small, there are only 2/2 teeth. (ref. ID; 7849)
  1. Adineta acuticornis Haigh (ref. ID; 2273 original paper)
  2. Adineta alluandi Certes, 1902
    See; Adineta oculata Milne, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  3. Adineta barbata Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688, 7849) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334, 7857) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 2972)
  4. Adineta bartosi Wulfert, 1960 (ref. ID; 2933 original paper)
  5. Adineta clauda Bryce, 1893
    See; Bradyscela clauda (ref. ID; 1345)
  6. Adineta cuneata Milne, 1916 (ref. ID; 1345, 2271)
  7. Adineta elongata Rodewald, 1935 (ref. ID; 1345, 2273, 3137, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 7857)
  8. Adineta glauca Wulfert, 1942 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3271, 3688)
  9. Adineta gracilis Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 2892, 3137, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334, 7857)
  10. Adineta grandis Murray, 1910 (ref. ID; 1345, 1519, 2644) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334)
  11. Adineta longicornis Murray, 1906 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688)
  12. Adineta oculata (Milne, 1886) (ref. ID; 1345, 1468, 1474, 2266, 2733, 2892, 3688)
    Syn; Adineta alluandi Certes, 1902 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Adineta oculata Gosse, 1889 (ref. ID; 1345); Callidina oculata Milne, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 2892, 3688)
  13. Adineta steineri Bartos, 1951 (ref. ID; 1345, 2274, 2933)
    Syn; Adineta barbata var. Steiner, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345)
  14. Adineta tuberculosa Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688)
  15. Adineta tuberculosa var. Donner, 1965 (ref. ID; 7849)
  16. Adineta vaga (Davis, 1873) (ref. ID; 1828, 1923, 2276, 2892, 3137, 3275, 3688, 7849) reported year? (ref. ID; 5022, 7857) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1519)
    Syn; Adineta vaga Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137); Callidina vaga Davis, 1873 (ref. ID; 2276, 2892, 3137, 3275, 3688) or 1878 (ref. ID; 1345)
  17. Adineta vaga minor Bryce, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345), f. minor Bryce, 1892 (ref. ID; 3688), var. minor Bryce, 1893 (ref. ID; 2274) or 1892 (ref. ID; 3137)
  18. Adineta vaga rhomboidea Berzins, 1950 (ref. ID; 3254 original paper), var. rhomboides Berzins, 1950 (ref. ID; 1345)
  19. Adineta vaga typica (Davis, 1873) (ref. ID; 1345)
    Syn; Adineta vaga Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345); Callidina vaga Davis, 1878 (ref. ID; 1345)
  20. Adineta vaga var. maior Bryce, 1892 (ref. ID; 3137, 3688)
  21. Adineta vaga var. major Bryce, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345)
  22. Adineta vaga var. rhomboides Berzins, 1950 (ref. ID; 1345)
  23. Adineta vaga var. tenuicornis Bryce, 1926 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137)

Adineta acuticornis Haigh (ref. ID; 2273 original paper)

Descriptions

The stomach lumen is very narrow and has two loops, there are four foot segments, the last with three small toes is long and slender. The animal is colourless with light longitudinal folds, the trunk segmentation is not very strong. (ref. ID; 2273)

Comments

This bdelloid bears some resemblance to two other species of the genus, A. glauca and A. longicornis. Like the former it has a fairly large rostral lamella, laterally elongated and terminating in sharp points and without trace of cilia. However the inner edge of the spurs is almost parallel to the straight outer edge for half its length, there is then a slight bulge followed by sudden contraction so that the second half narrows and tapers to a sharp point. A. longicornis has long spurs but they taper gradually, its rostral lamella is large but capable of movement as in Ceratotrocha cornigera and the mouth cavity is deeply indented with a notched border on the lower lip. A. acuticornis also has this type of mouth opening together with the 'rake apparatus' of other species of this genus but the lamella is normal, it is not movable. (ref. ID; 2273)

Measurements

Length of creeping animal 210; width across head 30; length of unci 15; length of spurs 12; width of spur segment 9 µm. Dorsal antenna about half neck width, stumpy. Dental formula 2/2. (ref. ID; 2273)

Adineta barbata Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688, 7849) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334, 7857) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 2972)

Descriptions

The body has a length of 400 µm and it is transparent, colourless, sometimes it is wine reddish in colour. The surface of the body is smooth. The rostrum has below the rolled rostral lamellae on either side of the head several long sensitive setae, which jut out from beneath the rolled rostral lamellae. The spurs are long and they are in their whole length almost equally wide, at the ends they become abruptly pointed. The foot is long and narrow. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)
  • Egg: The egg is 80 µm long and 43 µm wide and it had 6 large, blunt lateral knobs. (ref. ID; 3137)

    It is a medium-sized rotifer (325 µm), greyish-brown in colour. The spurs, which are almost as long as the joint to which they are fixed, are long and heavy. (ref. ID; 3334)

    On both sides of the rostrum, there are small auricles, widley apart from each other. They bear long sensory bristles. Among those, there are shorter cilia. The egg has lateral hunches. It is 80 µm long. The total length of the creeping animal is 280-400 µm. The species is a cosmopolite. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Examined materials

    A soil sample out of a dried rockpool (lithotelma) on a dolomit hill in the Etosha National Park, N-Namibia, South Africa. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Adineta cuneata Milne, 1916 (ref. ID; 1345, 2271)

    Descriptions

    No rostral setae. (ref. ID; 2271)

    Comments

    Very like A. vaga minor but the spur segment was slightly swollen and the short blunt spurs were curved forward. (ref. ID; 2271)

    Adineta elongata Rodewald, 1935 (ref. ID; 1345, 2273, 3137, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 7857)

    Descriptions

    This animal is colourless, cuticle smooth and all the trunk folds only faintly marked. The rostral lamella very like that of A. barbata but with the sensitive setae not long. There was no 'rake apparatus', the cingular fold is weak and the head oval with the widest part in the middle. Foot five segments, spurs fairly long, pointed and sword shaped, toes short. The body narrows abruptly to the posterior edge of the third trunk segment, the fourth widens out on the dorsal side to a thickened or rolled posterior edge shown plainly in the dorsal view. The lateral view shows it as a quite prominent hump standing well clear of the first anal segment although it did not appear as prominent as that shown by Bartos (1951). In the darting movement common to most animals in this genus the foot and both anal segments were withdrawn to show only the spurs protruding beyond this humped trunk segment. (ref. ID; 2273)

    The body is small, elongated. The neck is distinctly shorter than the trunk. The rostrum is hood-shaped without ventral cilia, and it bears only very short laterally pointing sensitive setae. The wheel-organ is formed by equally long cilia. It is slightly bilobed, shield-like and surrounded by a weakly developed cingular foot. The dorsal antenna is of normal length. The eye-spots are not developed. The trunk is covered with fine cuticle with very indistinct cuticular ribs. The last segment of the central trunk (the fourth segment) is on the posterior border strongly inflated on the dorsal side, and it passes abruptly without any transition into the rump. The dorsal part of this inflation projects over the dorsal side of the fifth trunk segment (this is very clearly seen in lateral view). The foot is five-jointed. The spurs are pointed, long. The toes are short. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Measurements

    Length of creeping animal 312-350; width across head 32; length of unci 12; length of spurs 12 µm. Dorsal antenna half neck width, dental formula 2/2. (ref. ID; 2273)

    Adineta glauca Wulfert, 1942 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3271, 3688)

    Descriptions

    The surface of the cuticle is smooth. The body is colourless, transparent, only the stomach, filled with clods of Chlorophyceae, is greenish blue. These clods reminiscent of the Zoochlorellae are in various degrees digested Chlorophyceae, which serve as food of the animals. The broadly oval head is only a little flattened and it is 31 µm broad. The rostral lamellae are strikingly large, strongly laterally elongated and pointed. Under the lamellae are not developed either sensitive cilia or whirl cilia. The neck is a little more slender than the head (only 26 µm), the first neck-segment bears a short dorsal antenna. The trunk is 45 µm broad. The rump passes gradually into the three-jointed foot. The spurs are strikingly long (16 µm), at the base they are inflated, they narrow towards the tips are the tips are curved towards the dorsal side. The toes are long, the middle part is the strongest and it is a little dilated at the end. The ovaries bear only four nuceli. D.f.: 2/2. The jaws are 18 µm long. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Measurements

    The body is 270-300 µm long. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Adineta gracilis Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 2892, 3137, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334, 7857)

    Descriptions

    Rostrum ventrally bowed, without auricles; no rake apparatus, spine as noted above; animal very slender, agile; certainly often confused with juvenile A. vaga. Eurytopic. (ref. ID; 2892)

    The body is nearly 210 µm long, and is narrow. The surface of the whole body is smooth, and the body is colourless or only very slightly roseate. On the rostrum without cilia. The rostrum consists only of the dorsal parts of the rostral sheats, and it is in its whole length inclined towards the ventral side. On the inner side of the cingulum without teeth. The spurs are short, only nearly half of the length of the joint to which they are fixed. This animal is very mobile. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)

    It is a medium-sized rotifer (300 µm), transparent to pale grey in colour. The spurs are very short. (ref. ID; 3334)
  • Egg: The eggs are oval and transparent (70 µm by 50 µm). (ref. ID; 3334)

    Measurements

    Length 200-400 µm. (ref. ID; 2892)

    Adineta grandis Murray, 1910 (ref. ID; 1345, 1519, 2644) reported year? (ref. ID; 3334)

    Descriptions

    It is a very large (750 µm) brown-coloured rotifer, with a pair of very tiny toes. A. grandis is viviparous. The young (up to 8) are only born after the death of their mother. (ref. ID; 3334)

    Adineta longicornis Murray, 1906 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688)

    Descriptions

    The body is of medium size (300 µm), it is narrow and very similar to the body Adineta vaga v. minor Bryce. The spurs are relatively longer as in the other species of this genus, and they are nearly 1/16 of the whole length of the body. They are very narrow, pointed, and they are separated by a narrow and straight interspace. The rostrum and the head are of the same shape as in other species of this genus, but the rostral lamellae are unusually large, and the animal can move these lamellae freely in the same way as Ceratotrocha cornigera Bryce. The mouth cavity is interesting, deeply indented, so that the lower lip forms a distinct notched border, which serves as a border. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Adineta oculata (Milne, 1886) (ref. ID; 1345, 1468, 1474, 2266, 2733, 2892, 3688)

    Synonym

    Adineta alluandi Certes, 1902 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Adineta oculata Gosse, 1889 (ref. ID; 1345); Callidina oculata Milne, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 2892, 3688)

    Descriptions

    Eyes with spherical lenses; rostrum with hooklike lamellae; trophi small. (ref. ID; 2892)

    Comments

    It can be easily separated from all other members of the genus by the presence of two eye-spots on the inner side of the rostrum. Rostrum is irretractible in contradistinction to other Bdelloidea. The rostral lamellae are very striking. The body is longish and flat. There is an enlargement in the middle of the trunk diminishing when the body is extended. Jaws are of the ramate type, are situated far from the mouth-opening and cannot be exserted from it. Dental formula: 2/2. The foot consists of 4 false segments. There are 2 spurs and 3 long toes. The specimens are moving lively, changing often their direction and adhering from time to time by the toes on the spot. There are no leech-like movements or gliding as with the other Bdelloidea. Also contractions of the whole body occur often. (ref. ID; 2733)

    Measurements

    The length of the extended body was 350 µm (Donner, 1965 and Redescu, 1960 give up to 500 µm), dimensions of the contracted body are 70x65 µm, mastax 14 µm in length. (ref. ID; 2733)

    Length 350-500; trophi 14 µm. (ref. ID; 2892)

    Adineta steineri Bartos, 1951 (ref. ID; 1345, 2274, 2933)

    Synonym

    Adineta barbata var. Steiner, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345)

    Descriptions

    The anal segments are unlike those shown in drawings attributed to Steiner but very like those given by Wulfert (1960) as is also the foot. The rostrum is as shown in Steiner's drawing as given by Donner (1965) but Bartos (1951) in his key says it has "club shaped fleshy protuberances", instead they appear to be thin transparent shields, part of the lamella, and lying over the base of the seta with two point horn-like projections below them. Whether there is more than one seta behind each shield is difficult to say, at no time was there any evidence that there were several lying close together. Finally, the egg has only six protuberances, two fairly large at the poles and two on each side like shoulder to give a square appearance to the egg. The head is fairly broad but not quite so wide as it is long, the neck segment is much narrower, the trunk then widens out to its greatest width just before narrowing sharply to the anal segments, the first of which has a fairly heavy roll. The first foot segment is either very long or else the fold between was too faint to be seen but it has two characteristic swellings and when stretched narrows between the swellings. The spurs are curved and blunt without spine, the toe segment long and slender, the toes tiny. Dorsal antenna just over half neck width, dental formula 2/2. The longitudinal folds are weak except for two strong parallel ones, the same width apart as the width of the pre-anal segment. (ref. ID; 2274)

    Comments

    Various authors show discrepancies in their descriptions of this species and Wulfert (1960) suggests that the great flexibility of the Adineta may account for some of these. The description given here with add to the list, for example Donner (1965) states "never reddish" but the animals here were a very light reddish brown. However, they lost this colouring after a few days and it was noticed that the new born were also colourless. Of course, some times the colouring of many Bdelloids depends on the state of the moss in which the animals are feeding. In deep cushioned moss, below the green surface it is often brownish and colours the water in which it is soaked before examination. (ref. ID; 2274)

    Measurements

    Length of creeping animal 375; greatest width 72; length of spurs 18 µm. (ref. ID; 2274)

    Adineta tuberculosa Janson, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137, 3688)

    Descriptions

    Colourless or slightly reddish body of a length of 500 µm. The surface of the body with the exception of the last foot segments is covered with hemispherical, transparent cuticular granules. In some individuals these cuticular granules cover only the head, the neck, and the anterior segments of the foot, the trunk, is however completely smooth or very finely granulated. The spurs are almost twice as long as the joint bearing the spurs. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Adineta tuberculosa var. Donner, 1965 (ref. ID; 7849)

    Descriptions

    The rostrum carries longer auricles and cilia. Contrary to the type, the skin is partly covered with small hunches. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Examined materials

    A soil sample out of a dried rockpool (lithotelma) on a dolomit hill in the Etosha National Park, N-Namibia, South Africa. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Measurements

    Total length up to 500 µm. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Adineta vaga (Davis, 1873) (ref. ID; 1828, 1923, 2276, 2892, 3137, 3275, 3688, 7849) reported year? (ref. ID; 5022, 7857) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1519)

    Synonym

    Adineta vaga Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137); Callidina vaga Davis, 1873 (ref. ID; 2276, 2892, 3137, 3275, 3688) or 1878 (ref. ID; 1345)

    Descriptions

    Rostrum lightly ciliated; head wide; rake apparatus with at least 4 U-shaped claws; animal colourless; light grey or reddish pink. Most common species of genus, organized into several varieties and forms, all from Europe. (ref. ID; 2892)

    The body is minute to large, it is colourless or light roseate or occasionally grayish. The rostrum is a little ciliate. The spurs are almost as long as the joint to which they are fixed, or they are a little longer than the segment of the foot on which they sit and then they are narrow. Sometimes the whirl-cilia jut out from beneath the rostral lamellae. D.f.: 2/2. (ref. ID; 3137)
  • Egg: The egg is 62 µm long and 32 µm wide, and it has 8 large, blunt side-knobs. (ref. ID; 3137)

    The rostrum lamella bears short auricles with a few short cilia. The rake apparatus has at least 4/4 small teeth in front of the mouth opening. In front of it, there are a few spines bent forwards. Often, the animal circles around small grains of sand. When creeping, the three toes are stretched out. The spurs are relatively short. Adineta vaga is cosmopolite. Four different variantes of this species have been described from all continents. The shape of the rostrum is always the same, the length of the spurs is variable. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Examined materials

    A soil sample out of a dried rockpool (lithotelma) on a dolomit hill in the Etosha National Park, N-Namibia, South Africa. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Measurements

    Length 200-700 µm. (ref. ID; 2892)

    Total length 200-700 µm. (ref. ID; 7849)

    Adineta vaga minor Bryce, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345), f. minor Bryce, 1892 (ref. ID; 3688), var. minor Bryce, 1893 (ref. ID; 2274) or 1892 (ref. ID; 3137)

    Descriptions

    Colourless except for the stomach and uncus which were light brown. Head longer than wide with "rake apparatus", typical lamella, toes short. (ref. ID; 2274)

    The body is minute. The false segments of the trunk pass gradually into the following segments whose transversal limits are indistinct. The spurs are short. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Measurements

    Length of creeping animal 312; head length 62; head width 43; length of spurs 3; width across spur segment 10.5; length of unci 18; egg 63x48 µm. Dental formula 2/2. (ref. ID; 2274)

    The length of the body is almost 500 µm. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Adineta vaga var. maior Bryce, 1892 (ref. ID; 3137, 3688)

    Descriptions

    The body is dumpier, the limits of the false segments of the body are very distinct and between the central trunk and the rump the body is somewhat narrowed. The head is almost wider than long. The spurs are short. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Measurements

    The length of the body is 700 µm. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Adineta vaga var. tenuicornis Bryce, 1926 (ref. ID; 1345, 3137)

    Descriptions

    The spurs are very long and narrow, for the rest like Adineta vaga var. minor and A. vaga var. maior. (ref. ID; 3137)

    Measurements

    The length of the body is almost 350-500 µm. (ref. ID; 3137)