Vol. 45 No. 1, 2006

Some Marine Rotifera from Réunion Island, with a Description of a New Species of Lindia Harring and Myers, 1924 and one of Synchaeta Ehrenberg, 1832

Willem H. De Smet

Department of Biology, Section Polar Ecology, Limnology and Palaeobiology, University of Antwerp, Campus Middelheim, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium. E-mail: willem.desmet@ua.ac.be

Willem H. De Smet (2006) The rotifer fauna of 2 samples from the marine littoral zone of Réunion I. (Indian Ocean) was studied. In total 12 taxa were identified, of which the monogononts Lindia elsae sp. nov. (Lindiidae) and Synchaeta squamadigitata sp. nov. (Synchaetidae) are described herein. Lindia elsae sp. nov. is characterized by conical toes, a long fulcrum, short anterior manubrial branches running parallel to the main branches, and a complex, single epipharyngeal element with 2 serrate semicircular parts. Synchaeta squamadigitata sp. nov. is diagnosed by the short cylindrical toes terminating in a short, rounded squamose part, with subterminal and ventrolateral tubuli. Concise comments are provided on the other species found.

Key words: Rotifera, Marine, Lindia elsae, Synchaeta squamadigitata, New species.

*Correspondence: E-mail: willem.desmet@ua.ac.be