Tanymastix stagnalis
Encyclopedia
Tanymastix stagnalis is a species
of Anostraca (fairy shrimp) that lives in temporary pools across Europe
. It may reach up to 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) in some areas and has 11 pairs of bristly, flattened appendages. It swims upside-down and filters food particles from the water. It is the only species of Anostraca in Ireland
, having been discovered in Rahasane turlough
in 1974.
appendage
s, called phyllopodia. The abdomen bears no appendages, but does carry the genital structures, which in the male are a pair of retractable hemipenes
, while the female has a brood pouch with two spines
. The antennae
are also sexually dimorphic
, being prehensile
in males. At the end of the abdomen, a caudal furca is made up of two red cercopods, which are long, thin and setose
.
Reports of the size of Tanymastix stagnalis vary. In Spain, it is reported to reach lengths of 7–9 mm (0.275590551181102–0.354330708661417 ), while Macedonia
n examples reach 8–17 mm (0.31496062992126–0.669291338582677 ), and French specimens have been reported as long as 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in).
T. stagnalis can be most easy distinguished from other species in the order by the form of the males' antennae
and frontal appendages.
, lentil
-shaped. Each ovisac produces 8–14 eggs, which are laid in open water. The eggs usually float, and tend to accumulate at the edges of the pool.
The eggs hatch into a nauplius, but that stage lasts only a few hours. Sexual maturity
is reached after 7–40 days, and the animal's longevity
depends on the temperature and the season, ranging from 30 days in summer to over 60 days in winter.
In Macedonia, T. stagnalis lives in pools only 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 ) in diameter, and 10 centimetre deep, containing a few litres of water each. Larger pools in the area harbour Chirocephalus diaphanus
instead. In Spain
, its distribution is seasonal; in winter it is found in rain puddles on the plains, while in summer it can only be found in mountainous areas. In all cases, the pools overlie acidic igneous rock
s, and they are usually mineral-poor and retain some moisture in the sediment when they dry out.
Like all Anostraca, T. stagnalis is a filter feeder
, removing microplankton, microorganismss and other organic material from suspension with its bristly phyllopodia.
Tanymastix stagnalis is sensitive to changes in the intensity of light, and respond to sudden shade by swimming towards the bottom of the pool, or even burying themselves in the sediment. The main threat to them is perturbation of the habitat, in particular the introduction of predators such as the fishes Lepomis gibbosus and Gambusia affinis.
and Algeria
, stretching from the Iberian Peninsula
in the west to south-western Russia
in the east, and northwards through Germany
and Denmark
to Scandinavia
. Its distribution is scattered within this area, however; in Macedonia, it is present only in pools among andesite
tuff
s above Stracin .
It was originally described from a site near Uppsala
, Sweden
, which is near the northern limit of its range. A more northerly population was found in 1913 at an altitude of 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) above Surendal
, Norway
. The population from 1913 is probably extinct, but the species is known from three other high altitude locations in the Trollheimen
mountains.
T. stagnalis is the only Anostracan species to occur in Ireland
, and one of only two in the British Isles
(the other being Chirocephalus diaphanus
which occurs in a few sites in southern England). It was discovered in Rahasane turlough
in 1974, and was soon discovered at six other sites, in temporary pools in fields, which may be more likely to represent the species' usual habitat. T. stagnalis is though to have arrived in Ireland in mud on the legs of a migratory bird, or on the footwear of a wildfowler; various ducks such as mallard
, teal
and shoveler
, and waders such as lapwing
and curlew
have been observed in Ireland after migrating from areas with T. stagnalis populations, such as Scandinavia and France.
In France
, T. stagnalis is found in the Forest of Fontainebleau
near Paris
, in the Camargue
, in the Var and in the Rhône Valley. It is also found on Corsica
, Sardinia
and Capraia
.
by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition
of Systema Naturae
, where it was called Cancer stagnalis. It was transferred by Simon to his new genus Tanymastix in 1886.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Anostraca (fairy shrimp) that lives in temporary pools across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It may reach up to 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) in some areas and has 11 pairs of bristly, flattened appendages. It swims upside-down and filters food particles from the water. It is the only species of Anostraca in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, having been discovered in Rahasane turlough
Rahasane turlough
Rahasane turlough is a turlough, that is a karst lake, which has no surface outlet and is surrounded on all sides by rising land. It is the largest surviving turlough in Ireland. Water collects seasonally in the basin and drains away only through evaporation or seepage into the underlying limestone...
in 1974.
Description
The body of Tanymastix stagnalis has a pair of stalked eyes, and 11 pairs of thoracicThorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
appendage
Appendage
In invertebrate biology, an appendage is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body . It is a general term that covers any of the homologous body parts that may extend from a body segment...
s, called phyllopodia. The abdomen bears no appendages, but does carry the genital structures, which in the male are a pair of retractable hemipenes
Hemipenis
A hemipenis is one of a pair of intromittent organs of male squamates .Hemipenes are usually held inverted, within the body, and are everted for reproduction via erectile tissue, much like that in the human penis. Only one is used at a time, and some evidence indicates males alternate use between...
, while the female has a brood pouch with two spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
. The antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
are also sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, being prehensile
Prehensility
Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term prehendere, meaning "to grasp."-Examples:Appendages that can become prehensile include:...
in males. At the end of the abdomen, a caudal furca is made up of two red cercopods, which are long, thin and setose
Seta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
.
Reports of the size of Tanymastix stagnalis vary. In Spain, it is reported to reach lengths of 7–9 mm (0.275590551181102–0.354330708661417 ), while Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
n examples reach 8–17 mm (0.31496062992126–0.669291338582677 ), and French specimens have been reported as long as 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in).
T. stagnalis can be most easy distinguished from other species in the order by the form of the males' antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
and frontal appendages.
Life cycle
Tanymastix stagnalis survives drought as resting eggs, which are dark brown, 0.40–0.43 mm in diameter, coppery-brown in colour and, characteristically for the genus TanymastixTanymastix
Tanymastix is a genus of anostracan crustaceans, characterised by their lenticular eggs. It comprises three species. Tanymastix stagnalis has a wide distribution across Europe and North Africa. T. motasi is endemic to Romania and Macedonia, while T. stellae was endemic to Sardinia. The type...
, lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
-shaped. Each ovisac produces 8–14 eggs, which are laid in open water. The eggs usually float, and tend to accumulate at the edges of the pool.
The eggs hatch into a nauplius, but that stage lasts only a few hours. Sexual maturity
Sexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
is reached after 7–40 days, and the animal's longevity
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
depends on the temperature and the season, ranging from 30 days in summer to over 60 days in winter.
Ecology
Like other members of the Anostraca, T. stagnalis swims with the ventral side upwards by beating its flattened thoracic appendages, or phyllopodia. It has been variously described as a cold stenothermal species, or as a warm stenothermal species. The species' temperature limits appear to vary between populations, with maxima of 16 °C (60.8 °F) reported for some populations, 20 °C (68 °F) for Irish populations, and up to 25 °C (77 °F) in Germany and elsewhere. The optimum temperature has been quoted as 10–17 °C (50–62.6 F) or 12–15 °C (53.6–59 F). Nauplii have been observed at temperatures of 3–12 °C (37.4–53.6 F).In Macedonia, T. stagnalis lives in pools only 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 ) in diameter, and 10 centimetre deep, containing a few litres of water each. Larger pools in the area harbour Chirocephalus diaphanus
Chirocephalus diaphanus
Chirocephalus diaphanus is a widely distributed European species of fairy shrimp that lives as far north as Great Britain, where it is the only surviving species of fairy shrimp and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is a translucent animal, about long, with reddened tips...
instead. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, its distribution is seasonal; in winter it is found in rain puddles on the plains, while in summer it can only be found in mountainous areas. In all cases, the pools overlie acidic igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
s, and they are usually mineral-poor and retain some moisture in the sediment when they dry out.
Like all Anostraca, T. stagnalis is a filter feeder
Filter feeder
Filter feeders are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish and some sharks. Some birds,...
, removing microplankton, microorganismss and other organic material from suspension with its bristly phyllopodia.
Tanymastix stagnalis is sensitive to changes in the intensity of light, and respond to sudden shade by swimming towards the bottom of the pool, or even burying themselves in the sediment. The main threat to them is perturbation of the habitat, in particular the introduction of predators such as the fishes Lepomis gibbosus and Gambusia affinis.
Distribution
Tanymastix stagnalis has a wide circum-Mediterranean distribution across EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, stretching from the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
in the west to south-western Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the east, and northwards through Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
to Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Its distribution is scattered within this area, however; in Macedonia, it is present only in pools among andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
s above Stracin .
It was originally described from a site near Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, which is near the northern limit of its range. A more northerly population was found in 1913 at an altitude of 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) above Surendal
Surnadal
is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Skei. Other villages include Todalsøra, Surnadalsøra, Sylte, Glærem, Stangvik, and Åsskard....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The population from 1913 is probably extinct, but the species is known from three other high altitude locations in the Trollheimen
Trollheimen
Trollheimen is a mountain range in Møre og Romsdal and Sør-Trøndelag counties in central Norway. The mountain range is part of the Scandinavian Mountains.- Etymology :...
mountains.
T. stagnalis is the only Anostracan species to occur in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and one of only two in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
(the other being Chirocephalus diaphanus
Chirocephalus diaphanus
Chirocephalus diaphanus is a widely distributed European species of fairy shrimp that lives as far north as Great Britain, where it is the only surviving species of fairy shrimp and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is a translucent animal, about long, with reddened tips...
which occurs in a few sites in southern England). It was discovered in Rahasane turlough
Rahasane turlough
Rahasane turlough is a turlough, that is a karst lake, which has no surface outlet and is surrounded on all sides by rising land. It is the largest surviving turlough in Ireland. Water collects seasonally in the basin and drains away only through evaporation or seepage into the underlying limestone...
in 1974, and was soon discovered at six other sites, in temporary pools in fields, which may be more likely to represent the species' usual habitat. T. stagnalis is though to have arrived in Ireland in mud on the legs of a migratory bird, or on the footwear of a wildfowler; various ducks such as mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
, teal
Common Teal
The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...
and shoveler
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
, and waders such as lapwing
Northern Lapwing
The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
and curlew
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
have been observed in Ireland after migrating from areas with T. stagnalis populations, such as Scandinavia and France.
In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, T. stagnalis is found in the Forest of Fontainebleau
Forest of Fontainebleau
The forest of Fontainebleau is a mixed deciduous forest lying sixty kilometres southeast of Paris, France. It is located primarily in the arrondissement of Fontainebleau in the southwestern part of the department of Seine-et-Marne...
near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in the Camargue
Camargue
The Camargue is the region located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western one is the Petit Rhône....
, in the Var and in the Rhône Valley. It is also found on Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Capraia
Capraia
Capraia, called Capraria in ancient times, is an island of Italy, part of the Tuscan Archipelago, off the northwest coast; it is also a comune belonging to the Province of Livorno. It is 62 km from the city of Livorno by sea, and 32 km northwest of the island of Elba; it is slightly...
.
Taxonomic history
Tanymastix stagnalis was namedAlpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition
10th edition of Systema Naturae
The 10th edition of Systema Naturae was a book written by Carl Linnaeus and published in two volumes in 1758 and 1759, which marks the starting point of zoological nomenclature...
of Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
, where it was called Cancer stagnalis. It was transferred by Simon to his new genus Tanymastix in 1886.