PHYLUM LORICIFERA

Christen Jene Corillo Lora Mae Garcia

Undescribed species of Spinoloricus (Loricifera; stained with Rose Bengal).

 loricus-

corset, girdle ferro carry, bear girdle bearers about 100 species discovered microscopic (>0.5 mm) marine - from shallow to deep water - between particles of sediment multicellular

Characteristics:
Bilateral, unsegmented, and probably pseudocoelomate Body divided into a head, neck, and thorax, all retractable into an abdomen Abdomen housed in cuticular lorica Mouth is located at the end of oral cone beset with stylets Gut complete

No circulatory or respiratory organs Nervous system present One pair of protonephridia Gonochoristic; development includes unique Higgins-larva All inhabit marine, interstitial environments, first found in clean shellgravel sediments

Defining Characteristic
spinelike, chitinous scales (scalids) on the introvert are operated by individual muscles set of spiny plates called a lorica around their abdomens spiny head head, neck, and thorax retract, like a telescope, into the lorica

Three body regions: 1. head - mouth, oral stylet - rings of scalids 2. neck 3. trunk - lorica/corselet Larvae - caudal feet

EXTERNAL

Brain Ganglion Stomach Esophagus

INTERNAL

Ventral view of adult female loriciferan (Nanaloricus mysticus)

Nanaloricidae
Nanaloricus Armorloricus Pheniciloricus Spinoloricus (2007) Australoricus (2009)

Pliciloricidae
Pliciloricus Rugiloricus

Nanaloricus mysticus

Nanaloricus mysticus

mouth cone scalids

neck

lorica

sensory hairs

swimming appendage anus

Higgins larva

Nanaloricus mysticus
mouth stylets introvert scalids neck

lorica

anus

Adult

ADULT crawl using their scales and mouth cone

LARVAE use spines and bristles to crawl swim using toes

ectoparasites

or predators (?)

stylets for piercing and sucking up body fluids of plants and animals

through gut

 well developed brain

nerves ganglion

 separate

sexes some are parthenogenetic internal fertilization oviparous shedding and resting stages Higgins larva - specialized immature form - pair of oarlike scales called toe for locomotion neoteny

Life Cycle of Loriciferans

The life history of Rugiloricus. The egg (A); the developing embryo in the egg (B); First instar larva (C); Last instar larva with mature ovary which develops by parthenogenesis and neoteny (D); Cyst larval form with developing larvae inside (E); A neotenous larva (F); Post larva (G); Adult female with ovaries (H1); Adult male with testes (H2).