(Figure 12)
Localities.: Small stream, Mount Snasahögarna, Jämtland (N 63 º 12 ’ 39 ’’; E 12 º 18 ’ 19 ’’); Small pond, Askö, Södermanland (N 58 º 49 ’ 23 ’’; E 17 º 38 ’ 32 ’’); Freshwater rockpool among Sphagnum spp., Hållö, Bohuslän (N 58 º 20 ’ 03’’; E 11 º 12 ’ 50 ’’); Artificial ponds, Fiskebäckskil, Bohuslän (N 58 14 ’ 39 ’’; E 11 º 27 ’ 16 ’’); Freshwater rockpool, Runmar, Stockholm archipelago (N 59 º 17 ’ 22 ’’; E 18 º 47 ’ 56 ’’); Small lake, Highway E 10, Lapland (N 68 º 20 ’ 53 ’’; E 19 º 02’ 16 ’’); Sphagnum spp. Bog at Highway E 10, Lapland (N 68 º 26 ’ 04’’; E 18 º 14 ’ 53 ’’); Pond south of Lake Torneträsk, Abisko, Lapland (N 68 º 21 ’ 19 ’’; E 18 º 49 ’ 21 ’’).
Material. 8 specimens. TL, 242–309 µm; FL, 30–35 µm; PhL, 50–62 µm; MD, 9–12 µm; DC, 10–12 DR, 35– 36 VC, 6–8.
Long and slender species, with hammer-shaped, three- to five-lobed head, with large cephalion. Dorsal scales are elliptical to heart-shaped and partially overlapping. Three pairs of long rigid bifid spines and a single median bifid spine, all in posterior dorsal trunk region overshooting the furcal branches, are characteristic of the species. The other dorsal spines are simple or, especially in the posterior trunk region, have less well developed denticles. Interciliary area is covered by oval keeled scales carrying short simple spines, except for the terminal end which is covered by a couple of larger scales with longer spines. The Swedish specimens fall well within the ranges presented in the literature.
This species is widely distributed in Europe (see e. g. Grünspan 1908; Greuter 1917; Rudescu 1967; Martin 1981; Schwank 1990; Balsamo & Tongiorgi 1995; Kisielewski 1998) and is also reported from Japan (Sudzuki 1971), Korea (Lee & Chang 2000), Canada (Schwank 1990), Argentina (Grosso 1976) and Brazil (Kisielewski 1991).