Hello Dilian,

Yes, there is a wide range of diversity in limnic-terrestric Tardigrada (especially in mosses) ... for this you may check the special issue „The Biology of Tardigrades“ (ed. by J.R. Garey, D.R. Nelson & P.B. Nichols) in the March issue (1) of „Hydrobiologia“, published in 2006.

And yes, there are also tardigrades recorded from (non-submarine) caves ... e.g. Echiniscus montanus in Hungary (cf. Iharos 1982: Tardigradologische Notizen. I. Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica I: 85-90) or Macrobiotus areolatus, M. spectabilis, Hypsibius dujardini and Diphascon pingue from caves in Mongolia (cf. Kaczmarek & Michalczyk 2006: The Tardigrada Fauna of Mongolia (Central Asia) with a Description of Isohypsibius altai sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae). Zoological Studies 45(1): 11-23.

Best wishes & good luck, Mike

Hello Mike,

And Many thanks!

Best wishes and from me!

Hello Dilian,

There are a lot of the environments in which Tardigrada live. the divided into (1) marine and brackish water (including marine caves); (2) freshwater; (3) terrestrial habitats (such as mosses,lichens etc., also including mountain cave).  

You may check the special issue “The biology and ecology of lotic Tardigrada” (ed. by D.R. Nelson & N.J. Marley) in “Freshwater Biology(2000) 44: 93-108”

Best wishes, Li-zhi Wang

Hello and nice to know you!

Thanks for the information but I do not access to this issue :)

As I learned there is no any data of true troglobiotic tardigrades! Which live in true underground/cave conditions. May they can inhabit areas around/in bat guano or wet cave alls/grave particles. Also wondering about the aquatic species - are there any stygobiotic tardigrades found in underground freshwaters? Will have a check in some Bulgarian caves :)

All best wishes fromm Bulgaria!

Dilian

Question: If I wanted to find a Tardigrade in a cave to look at under a Scanning Electron Microsope, how would I preserve the sample (temperature, acid, etc..)? Do you just grab a water sample and hope there is Tardigrade in it?

Dear Amy,

Better ask Maria Yankova: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Yankova3?_iepl%5BgeneralViewId%5D=xLRH6idHtaR0Gn1G0SZ1UcCr9RCkdBY8CuKu&_iepl%5Bcontexts%5D%5B0%5D=searchReact&_iepl%5BviewId%5D=S80LPIVeBHmNwrL7h13Tx0DlenQW3qJIJ06D&_iepl%5BsearchType%5D=researcher&_iepl%5Bdata%5D%5BcountMoreThan20%5D=1&_iepl%5Bdata%5D%5BinteractedWithPosition1%5D=1&_iepl%5Bdata%5D%5BwithoutEnrichment%5D=1&_iepl%5Bposition%5D=1&_iepl%5BrgKey%5D=AC%3A9515749&_iepl%5BinteractionType%5D=profileView

All my best

Dilian

Thanks Dilian!

Bertolani, R., 2002. First record of tardigrades within hypogeal caves. Boll. Accad. Gioenia Sci. Nat., Catania, 35: 649 - 654

Strayer, D., Nelson, D.R. & O'Donnell, E.B. (1994) Tardigrades from shallow groundwaters in southeastern New York, with thefirst record of Thulinia from North America. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 113, 325–332.

Boesgaard, T. M. and Kristensen, R. M., 2001. Tardigrades from Australian marine caves. With a redescription of Actinarctus neretinus (Arthrotardigrada). Zool. Anz., 240: 253 - 264

D'Addabbo Gallo, M., Grimaldi de Zio, S. and Sanduli, R., 2001. Heterotardigrada of two submarine caves in S. Domino Island (Tremiti Islands) in the Mediterranean Sea with the description of two species of Stygarstidae. Zool. Anz., 240: 361 - 369

Sandulli, R., D'Addabbo, M. G., Morone De Lucia, M. R., D'Addabbo, R., Pietanza, R. and Grimaldi de Zio, S., 1999. Preliminary investigations on meiofauna of two caves in San Domino Island (Tremiti Archipelago). Biol. Mar. Medit., 6: 437 - 440

Villora- Moreno, S., 1996. A new genus and species of the deep-sea family Coronarctidae (Tardigrada) from a sub-marine cave with a deep-sea like condition. Sarsia, 81: 275 - 283

Thank you very much!!!

They are found everywhere there is sufficient moisture, also a useful indicator species.

I use filters of various sizes then store/transfer them in the same water. In the transfer media incorporate the surrounding ecosystem and maintain ph temperature and light conditions until you get it it back in the lab. Sudden changes will send them into hibernate mode. Happy hunting!

Today I analyzed sediment samples from a cave entrance in West Virginia and another in Virginia, USA, and I found a Tardigrade in both! The samples just came from the twilight zone near the entrance, and not deep in the cave, but I'm still counting them as Cave Water Bears! I'll post pics/videos in the coming weeks.