Styraconyx nanoqsunguak Kristensen & Higgins 1984

113. Styraconyx nanoqsunguak Kristensen & Higgins, 1984a

Styraconyx nanoqsunguak, new species (Kristensen & Higgins, 1984a)

S. nanoqsunguak Kristensen & Higgins, 1984 (D’Addabbo Gallo et al. 1987, 1989) Styraconyx nanoqsunguak (Sandulli et al. 1999)

Terra typica: Baffin Bay (Greenland, Arctic)

Adriatic Sea:

• 42°06′N, 15°28′E [42°08′N, 15°30′E]; 11–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, between Tremiti Islands, Posidonia seagrass meadow, medium and fine sand. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

• 42°08′N, 15°29′E [42°07′N, 15°30′E]; 5–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, San Domino Island, I Pagliai, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°07′N, 15°30′E; 5–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, San Domino Island, Cala Spino, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°06 ′ N, 15°29′E; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, southern area of San Domino Island, in the proximity of Punta Zio Cesare, submarine cave Grotta delle Viole, external cave’s entrance, coarse organogenic detritus. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (2001), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°06 ′ N, 15°29′E; 9 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, southern area of San Domino Island, in the proximity of Punta Zio Cesare, submarine cave Grotta delle Viole, ca. 10 m from the cave’s entrance, coarse organogenic detritus. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (2001), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°06 ′ N, 15°29′E; 7 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, southern area of San Domino Island, in the proximity of Punta Zio Cesare, submarine cave Grotta delle Viole, ca. 20 m from the cave’s entrance, coarse organogenic detritus. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (2001), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°06 ′ N, 15°29′E; 5 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, southern area of San Domino Island, in the proximity of Punta Zio Cesare, submarine cave Grotta delle Viole, internal opening, coarse organogenic detritus. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (2001), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°06′N, 15°29′E; 5–10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, San Domino Island, Punta Zio Cesare, cave Grotta delle Viole, 0–10 cm depth, 80% coarse organogenic sand, 3% silt and clay, (mean diameter = 0.125 mm). Sandulli et al. (1999), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 40 ° 43.09′N, 17 ° 48.64′E ; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Brindisi Province, Torre Guaceto, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 40 ° 34.38′N, 18 ° 0 9.49′E ; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Brindisi Province, Mattarelle [Torre Mattarelle], ENEL power station, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 40 ° 27.24′N, 18°14.63′E [40°22′N, 18°20′E]; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Ceisne (Marne protected area), coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 40 ° 27.17′N, 18°14.58′E [40°22′N, 18°20′E]; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Ceisne (Marne protected area), coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 40°12′18′′N, 18°27′28′′E; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Alimini. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 40 ° 12.16′N, 18°27.80′E ; 50 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Apulia Region, Lecce Province, Alimini, mud. Accogli et al. (2011)

Atlantic Ocean:

• 61°17′42′′N, 08°32′18′′W; 104–260 m bsl: [FAO27] Faroe Islands, Faroe Bank, shell gravel, coarse shell gravel, carbonate fine sand, carbonate sand, or fine shell sand. Hansen et al. (2001)

Baffin Bay:

• 69°16′N, 53°35′W [69°14′N, 53°34′W]; 100–110 m bsl: [FAO21] West Greenland, Disko Island, Godhavn, Udkiggen, shell-gravel. Kristensen & Higgins (1984a)

• 69°00′N, 53°17′W; 70 m bsl: [FAO21] Type Locality: West Greenland, Disko Bay, Kronprinsens Ejland, shell-gravel. Kristensen & Higgins (1984a)

Black Sea:

• 45° 42.045N, 31° 58.784E [45°42′N, 31°59′E]; 32 m bsl: [FAO37] Ukraine, Kherson Oblast, Karkinitski Bay, salinity (17.9‰), sand with algae. Kharkevych (2012)

Indian Ocean:

• 04°15′N, 72°49′E; 19–37 m bsl: [FAO51] Republic of the Maldives, Ari Nord Atoll, coarse sand. Gallo et al. (2007)

• 03°29′N, 72°47′E; 23 m bsl: [FAO51] Republic of the Maldives, Ari Sud Atoll, coarse sand. Gallo et al. (2007)

• 04°19′S, 55°52′E; 0 m bsl: [FAO51] Republic of Seychelles, Coco [Cocos] Island, coarse sand. Gallo et al. (2007)

Ionian Sea:

• 40°13′90′′N, 17°54′59′′E [ 40°13′N, 17°55′E]; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, San Isidoro [Sant’Isidoro]. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 40 ° 12.94′N, 17°5.07′E [40°13′N, 17°55′E]; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, San Isidoro, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 40 ° 0 1.99′N, 18°27.47′E; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Santa Cesarea Terme, fine sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39 ° 55.55′N, 18°02.81′E ; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Torre San Giovanni Mancaversa, sand, coarse organogenous debris. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39°55′55′′N, 18°02′71′′E [39°54′N, 18°06′E]; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, San Giovanni [Torre San Giovanni]. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 39 ° 55.22′N, 18°02.29′E ; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Torre San Giovanni Mancaversa, fine sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39°52′00′′N, 16°42′30′′E; 20–80 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Cosenza Province, High Ionian Sea offshore, Calabrian Coast, Amendolara Shoal, coralligenous sand, coralligenous sand mixed with debris, coarse medium or fine coralligenous sand (few samples). D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (1987), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 39 ° 51.41′N, 18°23.75′E ; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Gagliano, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39 ° 51.26′N, 18°23.55′E; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Gagliano, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39 ° 50.46′N, 18°07.38′E ; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Torre Mozza (industry for fish processing), sand, coarse organogenous debris. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39 ° 50.14′N, 18°06.45′E ; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Torre Mozza (industry for fish processing), coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

Ligurian Sea:

• 43°32 ′ N, 10°12′E; 7 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Livorno Province, 300 m NW of Meloria Shoals Lighthouse, sediment samples. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (1999a)

Mediterranean Sea:

• 35°54′N, 14°32′E; 30, 35 and 41 m bsl: [FAO37] Republic of Malta, SE coast of Malta, Sicily Channel, 1.75 km SE of the entrance of Grand Harbour and 1.4 km NW of the coastal settlement Xghajra, coarse organogenic detritus and fine sand. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

Tyrrhenian Sea:

• 40°20′30′′N, 09°40′15′′E; 0–> 80 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Sardinia Island, Nuoro Province, Orosei Gulf, pure sand, coastal organogenic debris, coralligenous debris mud or Posidonia seagrass meadows. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (1989), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

• 38°36′N, 14°55′E; 40 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Aeolian Islands, Secca del Capo, coralligenous bank, subtidal zone, coarse coralligenous detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

• 38°28′N, 14°53′E [38°29′N, 14°54′E]; 1.5–5 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Aeolian Islands, Lipari Island, Pietra del Bagno, subtidal zone, siliceous sand. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

Record numbers (Sea/Ocean classification): Adriatic Sea: 14, Atlantic Ocean: 1, Baffin Bay: 2, Black Sea: 1, Indian Ocean: 3, Ionian Sea: 11, Ligurian Sea: 1, Mediterranean Sea: 1, Tyrrhenian Sea: 3; total: 37.

Record numbers (FAO classification): FAO21: 2, FAO27: 1, FAO37: 31, FAO51: 3; total: 37.

Remarks: This is a species from the hallasi group described from deep subtidal localities off the coast of Greenland but later reported mainly from the shallow subtidal zone in the Mediterranean basin (also in marine caves) and warm water in the tropical zone of the Indian Ocean. Recently it was also found in the deep subtidal zone of Faroe Bank and shallow subtidal zone of the Black Sea. Based on the Greenlandic cold water type locality, taxonomic problems in the genus Styraconyx, and similarities between species from this genus, it is our opinion that specimens from the Mediterranean basin, the Black Sea and tropical waters require reexamination. This is especially important in the light of several recent studies, which suggest marine tardigrades have generally rather restricted distributions and are connected with specific ecological conditions (Faurby et al. 2011, see also Kristensen & Higgins 1984a).