Analytic taxonomy and notes on marine, brackish-water and estuarine Gastrotricha

Marine Gastrotricha, both Macrodasyida and Chaetonotida, are the subject of an analytic review, citing taxonomic status ofnames, authorships of taxa, and those responsible for changes, in accordance with the International Code of ZoologicalNomenclature, 4th ed. (1999). Notes are included with regard to taxonomic usage so as to guide workers in the future.Among the proposed novelties are: within Macrodasyida, to restrict the family Lepidodasyidae Remane, 1927 to the genusLepidodasys Remane, 1926, and to establish a new family, Cephalodasyidae with Cephalodasys Remane, 1926 as itstype-species to house the remaining genera and species that have been contained in the polyphyletic familyLepidodasyidae. Hemidasys agaso Claparède, 1867 is considered extinct, and the new name Tetranchyrodermaantenniphorum is proposed for Tetranchyroderma antennatum Luporini, Magagnini & Tongiorgi, 1973; in addition, fivespecies are here considered to be species inquirendae: Dactylopodola weilli d'Hondt, 1965, Paradasys nipponensisSudzuki, 1976, Macrodasys indicus Kutty & Nair, 1969. Tetranchyroderma forceps d’Hondt & Balsamo, 2009 andTurbanella plana (Giard, 1904b). Among Chaetonotida: the Xenotrichula velox-species group Ruppert, 1979 and theXenotrichula intermedia-species group Ruppert, 1979 were given each the rank of subgenus. Chaetonotus pleuracanthusRemane, 1926 is rejected as a synonym for Chaetonotus marinus Giard, 1904; Chaetonotus somniculosus Mock, 1979 istransferred to the genus Halichaetonotus, the new name Halichaetonotus euromarinus is proposed for Halichaetonotusspinosus Mock, 1979, and Xenotrichula carolinensis Ruppert, 1979 is re-established. Heteroxenotrichula variocirratad'Hondt, 1966 is here considered to be species inquirenda.