Micromoina arboricola n. gen., n. spec. (Crustacea: Cladocera), a new moinid living in a forest tree-hole in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
With a maximum size of ca 0.5 mm, Micromoina arboricola is among the smallest moinids known to date. It was discovered in a flooded treehole in a forest in the Medio Rio Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where it mainly feeds on particulate organic matter derived from the vinhatico tree . However, it is easily cultured in the lab on a diet of green algae plus yeast and pelleted fish food. Structurally, it is a miniature version of a moinid, distinguished by characters on the antennules (both sexes) and the postabdomen. The latter is peculiar in shape, in lacking a basal spine, and in having only three lateral plumose setae. A comparative investigation of the barcoding fragment of the COI gene in a number of moinids confirms the family Moinidae as composed of several genera, as well as the status of the new taxon.
Department of Ecology and Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China. Henri.Dumont@UGent.Be
Henri J
HJ
Dumont
Arnola C
AC
Rietzler
Evanguedes
E
Kalapothakis
D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D001938:Brazil; D033361:Cladocera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny