Eutardigrade

Eutardigrades
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Tardigrada Class[?]: Eutardigrada
Families
Order Apochaela[?]     Milnesiidae[?] Order Parachaela[?]     Macrobiotidae[?]     Microhypsibiidae[?]     Calohypsibiidae[?]     Hypsibiidae[?]

Eutardigrada are tardigrada without lateral appendices. Primarily freshwater bound, some species have secondarily gained the ability to live in marine environments (Halobiotus). By cryptobiosis[?] many species are able to live in temporily very dry environments.

The order Apochaela consists of only one family, Milnesiidae[?], with of two genera: Milnesium[?] and Limmenius[?]. Milnesium tardigradum can be found worldwide and is one of the biggest species among tardigrades (up to 1.4 mm). The mouth of this predator has a wide opening, so the animal can eat rotifers and larger protists. The claws are characteristic. Other eutardigrades belong to the order Parachaela.

References http://www.itis.usda.gov
TSN: 155362

External links

• tardigrade taxa (http://www.tardigrades.de/taxa.htm)
• Pseudobiotus megalonyx (http://www.tardigrades.de/pseudobiotusmegalonyx.htm)
• Milnesium tardigradum (radiation experiments) (http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/research/Final/sresch02/middleton/)