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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Floscularia

Floscularia Cuvier, 1798

Floscularia Ehrenberg, 1832 See: Collotheca (ref. ID; 3688)

Class Rotatoria: Order Monimotrochida: Family Flosculariidae (ref. ID; 7097)

Synonym Melicerta Schrank, 1803 (ref. ID; 3688) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1923, 2572), Tubicolaria Lamarck, 1816 (ref. ID; 3688)

ref. ID; 1663

Adults solitary or colonial, but colonies never spherical. Corona four-lobed. Two large ventral antennae. With a tube composed of gelatinous material, pellets of debris, or fecal pellets. (ref. ID; 1663)

ref. ID; 1923

All sessile; 5 species make brown tubes of pellets. Of these, 4 species use pellets made in special structure on the head, the other uses fecal pellets. (ref. ID; 1923)

ref. ID; 3215

The generic name is that now applied to the genus formerly known as Melicerta, and this alteration is perhaps the most severe of all due to Harring's researches. The change become imperative when he revealed that Floscularia was the name given by Cuvier to the famous brick-laying Rotifer in his original description in 1798. Owing to some extraordinary error, this animal came to be known as Melicerta, and the name Floscularia was misapplied to a very different family, most of whose members secrete mucous nests and near a crown of setae in place of a wreath of vibrating cilia. Harring gave the "Floscules" the new name of Collotheca, which is now in general use. (ref. ID; 3215)
  1. Floscularia algicola Hudson, 1886
    See; Collotheca algicola (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  2. Floscularia ambigua Hudson, 1883
    See; Collotheca ambigua (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2738, 2757, 3688)
  3. Floscularia ambigua var. minor Hudson, 1886
    See; Collotheca algicola (ref. ID; 1345)
  4. Floscularia annulata Hood, 1888
    See; Collotheca annulata (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  5. Floscularia appendiculata Leydig, 1854
    See; Collotheca ornata var. cornuta (ref. ID; 1345, 3259, 3688)
  6. Floscularia atrochoides Wierzejski, 1893
    See; Collotheca atrochoides Wierzejski, 1893 (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  7. Floscularia calva Hudson & Bilfinger, 1894
    See; Collotheca bilfingeri Berzins, 1951 (ref. ID; 1345, 2738)
  8. Floscularia calva Hudson, 1885
    See; Collotheca calva (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  9. Floscularia campanulata Dobie, 1849
    See; Collotheca campanulata (Dobie, 1849) (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 2757, 3514, 3688)
  10. Floscularia conifera (Hudson, 1886) (ref. ID; 1345, 1923, 2276, 2757, 2827, 3688)
    Syn; Floscularia conifera Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta conifera Hudson, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2757) or Hudson & Gosse, 1866 (ref. ID; 3688)
  11. Floscularia cornuta Dobie, 1849
    See; Collotheca ornata var. cornuta (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3259, 3688), Collotheca cornuta (ref. ID; 2757)
  12. Floscularia coronetta Cubitt, 1869
    See; Collotheca coronetta (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2757, 3271, 3688)
  13. Floscularia croatica Trgovcevic, 1896
    See; Collotheca ornata var. cornuta (ref. ID; 1345, 3259, 3688)
  14. Floscularia cyclops Cubitt, 1871
    See; Collotheca cyclops (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  15. Floscularia decora Edmondson, 1940 (ref. ID; 3259 original paper) reported year? (ref. ID; 1821) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 5358)
  16. Floscularia diadema Perty, 1890
    See; Collotheca heptabrachiata var. diadema (ref. ID; 1345, 2738)
  17. Floscularia edentata Collins, 1872
    See; Collotheca edentata (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 2886, 3688)
  18. Floscularia epizootica Monard, 1921
    See; Collotheca epizootica (ref. ID; 1345)
  19. Floscularia evansonii Anderson & Shephard, 1892
    See; Collotheca evansonii (ref. ID; 2757)
  20. Floscularia ferox Penard, 1914
    See; Collotheca ferox (ref. ID; 2738)
  21. Floscularia heptabrachiata Schoch, 1869
    See; Collotheca heptabrachiata (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  22. Floscularia heptabrachiata var. diadema Petry, 1890
    See; Collotheca heptabrachiata var. diadema (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  23. Floscularia hoodi or hoodii Hudson, 1883
    See; Collotheca hoodi (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3688)
  24. Floscularia janus (Hudson, 1881) (ref. ID; 1345, 1808, 2703, 2757, 2827, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 3208)
    Syn; Floscularia janus Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345); Melicerta flosculosa Kellicott, 1889 (ref. ID; 3688) or 1896 (ref. ID; 1345); Melicerta janus Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688) or Hudson, 1886 (ref. ID; 2757, 3208); Oecistes janus Hudson, 1881 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  25. Floscularia libera Zacharias, 1894
    See; Collotheca libera (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3208, 3275, 3688)
  26. Floscularia libera campanulata Linder, 1904
    See; Collotheca libera (ref. ID; 2738, 3688)
  27. Floscularia longicaudata Hudson, 1883
    See; Collotheca campanulata var. longicaudata (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 3259, 3688), Collotheca longicaudata (ref. ID; 2757)
  28. Floscularia longilobata Bartsch, 1877
    See; Collotheca coronetta (ref. ID; 3271, 3688)
  29. Floscularia longlobata Bartsch, 1877
    See; Collotheca coronetta (ref. ID; 1345)
  30. Floscularia melicerta (Ehrenberg, 1832) (ref. ID; 1345, 2757, 2810, 3215, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 3403)
    Syn; Floscularia melicerta Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688); Lacinularia melicerta Ehrenberg, 1832 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688); Melicerta fimbriata Sephard & Stickland, 1899 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688) or Shephard & Stickland, 1899 (ref. ID; 2757, 2810); Melicerta melicerta Collin, 1912 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810) or Collins, 1912 (ref. ID; 3688); Melicerta najas de Beauchamp, 1909 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta tubicolaria Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 2757) or Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta tyro Hudson, 1875 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3215, 3688); Tubicolaria najas Ehrenberg, 1838 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688)
  31. Floscularia millsii Kellicott, 1885
    See; Stephanoceros millsii (ref. ID; 1345, 2757, 4603)
  32. Floscularia monoceros Zacharias, 1912
    See; Collotheca monoceros (ref. ID; 1345)
  33. Floscularia moselii Milne, 1905
    See; Collotheca moselii (ref. ID; 2738)
  34. Floscularia mutabilis Hudson, 1885
    See; Collotheca mutabilis (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 2757, 3208, 3688)
  35. Floscularia noodi Koste, 1972 (ref. ID; 2810)
  36. Floscularia noodti Koste, 1972 (ref. ID; 2703, 5358 original paper) reported year? (ref. ID; 2834)
  37. Floscularia ornata Ehrenberg, 1832
    See; Collotheca ornata (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2738, 2757, 3514, 3688)
  38. Floscularia ornata var. natans Tschugunoff, 1921
    See; Collotheca ornata var. natans (ref. ID; 3688)
  39. Floscularia pedunculata (Joliet, 1883) (ref. ID; 1345, 2761) reported year? (ref. ID; 3259)
    Syn; Melicerta pedunculata Joliet, 1883 (ref. ID; 1345, 2761)
  40. Floscularia pentacornis Costa, 1838
    See; Collotheca ornata (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  41. Floscularia pelagica Rousselet, 1893
    See; Collotheca pelagica (ref. ID; 1345, 2738, 2757, 3688)
  42. Floscularia proboscidea Ehrenberg, 1834 or Grimalschi, 1938
    See; Collotheca campanulata (ref. ID; 3688)
  43. Floscularia regalis Hudson, 1883
    See; Collotheca heptabrachiata (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  44. Floscularia ringens (Linnaeus, 1758) (ref. ID; 1345, 1808, 1923, 2276, 2572, 2676, 2715, 2788, 2827, 2918, 3688) or (Linnaeus, 1958) (ref. ID; 2757) reported year? (ref. ID; 2933, 3208, 3215, 3343, 3403) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 3292), ringens ringens (ref. ID; 2702)
    Syn; Brachionus tubifex Pallas, 1766 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Floscularia ringens Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta quadriloba Goldfuss, 1820 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta ringens Schrank, 1803 (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2757, 3208, 3688); Rotifer quadricircularis Dutrochet, 1812 (ref. ID; 3688); Sabella ringens Linne, 1767 (ref. ID; 3688); Serpula ringens Linnaeus, 1758 (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 3688); Tubicolaria quadilobata Lamarck, 1816 (ref. ID; 1345); Tubicolaria quadriloba Blainville, 1828 (ref. ID; 3688) or Lamarck, 1816 (ref. ID; 3688); Tubicolaria quadrilobata Blainville, 1828 (ref. ID; 1345); Tubicolaria tetrapetala Cuvier, 1817 (ref. ID; 1345); Vorticella tetrapetala Cuvier, 1817 (ref. ID; 3688)
  45. Floscularia tenuilobata Anderson, 1889
    See; Collotheca tenuilobata (ref. ID; 2738, 2810)
  46. Floscularia trifidlobata Pittock, 1895
    See; Collotheca trifidlobata (ref. ID; 1345)
  47. Floscularia trifolium Hudson, 1881
    See; Collotheca trilobata (ref. ID; 3688)
  48. Floscularia trilobata Collins, 1872
    See; Collotheca trilobata (ref. ID; 2738, 2757, 3688)
  49. Floscularia uniloba Wierzejski, 1893
    See; Collotheca annulata (ref. ID; 3688)

Floscularia decora Edmondson, 1940 (ref. ID; 3259 original paper) reported year? (ref. ID; 1821) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 5358)

Descriptions

  • Egg: Newly deposited amictic eggs are dark, but they lighten during maturation. Before hatching, red eyespots as well as the ciliated corona and mastax may be distinguished. (ref. ID; 1821)
  • Larvae: Larvae have a long, worm-like body, divided into three regions: head, trunk, and foot. And they possess a circular wreath of relatively short cilia at the terminus of the head and of the foot. At the anterior end are two red eyespots set widely apart. The head is slightly broader than the trunk. Ganglion, a muscular mastax with well-developed trophi, two stomach glands, and a voluminous intestine are easily seen. These forms also possess red eyespots in the head region, but the lobes or arms of the adult animal are already present inserted inside of the head. Also visible is a large infundibulum, a vestibulum, a large mastax, and an intestine. An anus is usually visible, located in the middle part of the trunk. Larvae possess longitudinal hypodermal glands in the trunk. All internal organs usually obscured by abundant glandular inclusions. A dark oval formation which begins to brighten with the development of the larva is present. This body, which is probably identical to the anisotrophic (birefringent) crystalline structure (ACS) described by Wallace (1993), may function as an energy reserve for swimming and metamorphosis until the young animal begins feed. The foot is usually about 1/3 the total length of the body and contains two very prominent cement glands; the terminal part also contains small bladder-like glands. Larvae of F. decora attach to the substratum and within 3 minutes build a jelly tumbler containing about 10 pseudofecal pellets in the base. Tube building for newly settled individuals of this species proceeds quickly, usually one pellet is constructed and placed in position every 13-20 seconds. However, after 18 hours of larval life, the speed of pellet production decreases to one pellet every 76 seconds. There is a gradual formation of the adult lobed corona in F. decora, but the newly attached larva is capable of forming the necessary pellets even through the corona does not appear to be fully formed. (ref. ID; 1821)
  • Adult: Tube is constructed of pseudofecal pellets arranged in regular rows. (ref. ID; 1821)

    Corona more than twice as wide as body; anterior lobes much larger than others; dorsal gap deep, but broadly V-shaped; lateral antennae as long as diameter of body; dorsal hooks large, borne on plate-like projection dorsal body wall, each with small, hypodermal gland-like structure; dorsal antenna a spherical, button shaped structure near the dorsal hooks; tube wide, constructed of large, transparent, almost colorless, gelatinous pellets; peduncle short. (ref. ID; 3259)

    Comments

    This species differs from F. conifera with which it might be confused in the different structure and relationships of the dorsal hooks and dorsal antenna, in the shape of the corona and most conspicuously, though less importantly in the appearance of the tube. The large, clear pellets are regularly hexagonal toward the top of the tube, but flattened and distorted considerably toward the rear. In the genus Floscularia less emphasis should be placed on the tube than on the morphology of the animal itself, for the character of the tube depends more directly on the nature of the material in the environment since it is incorporated into the pellets. Floscularia janus with fairly transparent, irregular tubes may be obtained by growing them in water where there is very little suspended matter and other species show similar effects under the same circumstances. Floscularia decora evidently uses very little particulate material in its pellets under any circumstances, for it has been found in the same pond with F. conifera which had normal, dark, almost opaque pellets. (ref. ID; 3259)

    Locality

    Floscularia decora occurred in some abundance in six localities in Vilas County, pH range 5.5-6.4. In one locality it occurred with F. conifera. (ref. ID; 3259)

    Measurements

    Total length 705-1050; tube height 660-930; height at 1st egg 130-200; egg size 161-165x72-75; larval length 190-200 µm. (ref. ID; 1821)

    Total length 483; length of foot 267; length of antennae 51; length of tube 415; width of corona 108; width of body 51; width of neck 40; width of tube 108 (top), 57 (bottom); pellets 44x24 µm. (ref. ID; 3259)

    Floscularia melicerta (Ehrenberg, 1832) (ref. ID; 1345, 2757, 2810, 3215, 3688) reported year? (ref. ID; 3403)

    Synonym

    Floscularia melicerta Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688); Lacinularia melicerta Ehrenberg, 1832 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688); Melicerta fimbriata Sephard & Stickland, 1899 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688) Shephard & Stickland, 1899 (ref. ID; 2757, 2810); Melicerta melicerta Collin, 1912 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810) or Collins, 1912 (ref. ID; 3688); Melicerta najas de Beauchamp, 1909 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta tubicolaria Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 2757) or Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta tyro Hudson, 1875 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3215, 3688); Tubicolaria najas Ehrenberg, 1838 (ref. ID; 1345, 2810, 3688)

    Comments

    Floscularia melicerta has borne several names, and one of them, "Melicerta tyro", carried the suggestion that it was not, so to speak, clever enough to build a brick tower like that of the far commoner "Melicerta ringes" (now Floscularia ringes). The imposing four-lobed corona is similar in both species except for relative size, that of F. melicerta being about thrice the width of the body. The outstanding difference between the two is seen in the form of the tube, that of F. melicerta being a great dome of transparent amber-coloured jelly in which an accumulation of Diatoms is usually embedded. Owing to the character of the nest the whole of the animal is visible, whereas under normal conditions F. ringens expose above its brick tower only the corona and the neck as far down as the mastax. F. melicerta has the habit of curling the ventral coronal lobes so that the two dorsal lobes suggest a butterfly. In place of the pellet-making organ, this animal has a wide gaping cavity from which, especially in young ones engaged in forming a nest, great quantities of mucus are exuded at regular intervals from a gland in the vicinity. The earliest exudations are smeared on the substratum on which the Rotifer rests, and as the mucus swells greatly in the water, the material soon reaches a considerable height and forms a domed tube. Diatoms and other particles coming in contact with the earliest depositions lie more or less parallel with the substratum, but later ones entering the dome are pulled down by the repeated retractions of the animal and radiate upwards and outwards from the central core occupied by the Rotifer's foot. The whole tube is, furthermore, very faintly striated radially, these evanescent streaks marking the successive layer of mucus. The effect is very pretty and a little puzzling until one has watched the constriction of the tube. This beautiful creature seems now to be very rarely met with, and rotifers of long experience to whom the writer has sent specimens have declared it to be the most attractive species they have ever seen. It is a comparatively large Rotifer, an adult measuring some 800 µm in total length, and is a magnificent object seen by dark-ground or "opaque" illumination. For exhibition purposes it is ideal, for it is not very timid, and spins is wonderful "wheels" for long periods. (ref. ID; 3215)

    Floscularia noodti Koste, 1972 (ref. ID; 2703, 5358 original paper) reported year? (ref. ID; 2834)

    Descriptions

    This species is characterized by a case which is built up by strings of faces which are up to 116 µm long. (ref. ID; 2834)

    It forms a broad tube consisting of very long pellets of excrements (-116 µm). The contracted specimens bear two cuticulare wing-like structures at the apical end of the body. Between these structures the animals have tiny hooks, borne on a plate-like projection of the dorsal body. The shape of the unfolded corona must be studied more exactly. (ref. ID; 5358 summary)

    Type locality

    A new sessile rotifer was discovered in the epiphyton of Salvinia auriculata in Amazonia. (ref. ID; 5358)

    Measurements

    Lengths of the components of the cases range from 40-120 µm. (ref. ID; 2834)

    Floscularia pedunculata (Joliet, 1883) (ref. ID; 1345, 2761) reported year? (ref. ID; 3259)

    Synonym

    Melicerta pedunculata Joliet, 1883 (ref. ID; 1345, 2761)

    Descriptions

    Corona considerably broader than tube; ventral (anterior) lobes somewhat elongate, rounded; dorsal (posterior) lobes considerably smaller than ventral, rounded, separated by wide dorsal gap; chin round, short, at obtuse angle to buccal area; lower margin of pellet cup projecting neck region with folds; below chin, on anterior end of body, two prominent protuberances with smaller one between and larger one posterior to this; on each side of anterior end of body, a quadridigitate cuticular process; dorsal spines long, slender, with small dorsal antenna between; body subcylindrical; foot long, fairly slender; peduncle very long, cylindrical; lateral antennae long, cylindrical; tube of small round pellets, regularly arranged. (ref. ID; 2761)

    The Wisconsin specimens lacked the hand-shaped cuticular processes on the neck described from New Jersey material by Edmondson (1939), but agreed in other respects. It seems likely that Joliet's specimens did not have them. There is a small cuticular spine between the dorsal hooks which usually conceals the dorsal antenna and may be mistaken for it. (ref. ID; 3259)

    Comments

    Floscularia pedunculata resembles F. ringens very closely but is easily distinguished from that species by the cuticular processes on the body and the length of the peduncle which can generally be seen by focussing through the tube with a high powered microscope objective, using strong illumination. This is the first record of the cuticular processes on the body, for Joliet did not see them, and based the species on the long peduncle; he figured only the peduncle, and his description refers to the resemblance to F. ringens in other details. (ref. ID; 2761)

    Measurements

    Length total 760, antennae 40, peduncle 200, tube 700, pellet 14 µm. Width: corona 260, tube 130 µm. (ref. ID; 2761)

    Floscularia ringens (Linnaeus, 1758) (ref. ID; 1345, 1808, 1923, 2276, 2572, 2676, 2715, 2788, 2827, 2918, 3688) or (Linnaeus, 1958) (ref. ID; 2757) reported year? (ref. ID; 2933, 3208, 3215, 3343, 3403) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 3292), ringens ringens (ref. ID; 2702)

    Synonym

    Brachionus tubifex Pallas, 1766 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Floscularia ringens Harring, 1913 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta quadriloba Goldfuss, 1820 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688); Melicerta ringens Schrank, 1803 (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 2757, 3208, 3688); Rotifer quadricircularis Dutrochet, 1812 (ref. ID; 3688); Sabella ringens Linne, 1767 (ref. ID; 3688); Serpula ringens Linnaeus, 1758 (ref. ID; 1345, 2276, 3688); Tubicolaria quadilobata Lamarck, 1816 (ref. ID; 1345); Tubicolaria quadriloba Blainville, 1828 (ref. ID; 3688) or Lamarck, 1816 (ref. ID; 3688); Tubicolaria quadrilobata Blainville, 1828 (ref. ID; 1345); Tubicolaria tetrapetala Cuvier, 1817 (ref. ID; 1345); Vorticella tetrapetala Cuvier, 1817 (ref. ID; 3688)

    Descriptions

    See F. melicerta.

    Body encased in a tube made of small rounded pebble like structures. Only the head is found outside the tube in living animals. Since they are usually found attached to leaves of plants or other substrata only, very rarely was it seen in plankton samples. (ref. ID; 2715)

    Measurements

    Total length 900 µm. (ref. ID; 2715)

    Length 1600 µm. (ref. ID; 3343)