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Kinorhynchs are meiobenthic, marine invertebrates inhabiting the upper few centimeters of tidal and subtidal sediments where they feed on diatoms and bacteria. As yet, only a few species are known from estuaries and lagoons with highly fluctuating salinities. A new species of Echinoderes, E. applicitus sp. nov., is described from a mangrove forest fringing a brackish water lagoon on the south coast of Central Java, Indonesia.

The new species has several characteristics that otherwise are found only in species inhabiting similar estuarine habitats with fluctuating salinity, which suggests that these species are closely related. These characters include reduction of spine number and sizes and an unusual female sexual dimorphism. Interestingly, the highest abundance of the new species was recorded at a mangrove station right next to the largest oil refinery of Indonesia. In this area, a high concentration of organic pollutants was recorded in the sediment.

This is the first time that a kinorhynch is reported from an oil polluted area. The study indicates that E. applicitus sp. nov. is well adapted for this particular habitat that other kinorhynchs appear to avoid. The species’ ability to cope with environmental stress may also explain its ability to tolerate the high infection rate of epibiontic organisms recorded in this study.

Publication:

First recording of kinorhynchs from Java, with the description of a new brackish water species from a mangrove-fringed lagoon
Alexandra Ostmann, Inga Nordhaus, Martin V. Sørensen (2011), Marine Biodiversity (DOI 10.1007/s12526-011-0094-z)

More information:

Dr. Inga Nordhaus
Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie
Tel: 0421 / 23800 – 74
Email: inga.nordhaus zmt-bremen.de