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Volume 35, 1902
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Art. XXVII.—The Rotifera of New Zealand: a Revised and Expanded List.

By F. W. Hilgendorf M.A., B.Sc.

[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 26th November, 1902.]

The object of this paper is to make numerous corrections in the “Contribution to the Study of the Rotifera of New Zealand,” which appeared in the “Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,” vol. xxxi., p. 107, and at the same time to add to the list the names of some species that I have found since writing my last paper. The corrections referred to have been made largely at the suggestion of Mr. C. E. Rousselet, Curator of the Royal Microscopical Society, and partly as the result of my own further observations.

Order Rhizota.

Family Floscularidæ.
Genus Floscularia.

F. coronetta (Hudson and Gosse, “Rotifera,” p. 49): Found by Archdeacon Stock at the Hutt. Recorded, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxv., p. 193.

F. ornata (H. and G., p. 50): Found among water-lilies, Lincoln College.

F. ambigua (H. and G., p. 53): Found in lily pond at Mount Eden, Auckland.

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Family Melicertidæ.

Genus Melicerta.

M. ringens (H. and G., p. 70): Found by Mr. A. Hamilton near Napier. Recorded in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xii., p. 301.

Order Bdelloida.

Family Philodinadæ.

Genus Philodina.

P. erythrophthalma (H. and G., p. 99): From Lincoln College pond.

P. roseala (H. and G., p. 99): From roofing-gutters and a cemented pond at Lincoln College. Very numerous at all times of the year.

P. megalotrocha (H. and G., p. 101): From Mount Eden, Auckland.

I found also at Lincoln College a Philodinian resembling probably a variety of this species. I named it provisionally P. cloacata. Its chief characteristics are as follows: Size equal to P. megalotrocha. Body plump, quickly contracting to the foot, which is slender and 4-jointed. Just anterior to the foot is a large dome-like projection showing like a knot in the outstretched foot. Under this the cloaca lies. The toes are particularly long. Corona ample. Jaws at right angles to length of body, usually greatly obscured. Teeth 2. Cloaca very large. No brain observed. Dorsal antenna multisetate, 3-jointed. Eyes oblong-oblique.

P. microps (H. and G., Supplement, p. 8): Lincoln College; common. Teeth 3, or 3 and 2.

Genus Rotifer.

R. vulgaris (H. and G., p. 104): Lincoln College.

R. macrurus (H. and G., p. 107): Taieri Beach. Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxi., p. 111.

Genus Callidina.

C. bibamata (H. and G., p. 111): From Lincoln College.

C. quadridens (mihi): Taieri Beach. Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

C. venusta: A species with very long antennæ, a variety of which I found at Lincoln College.

The name is given by Mr. D. Bryce, 37, Brooke Road, Stoke-Newington Common, London, but I have no note of where he has recorded the species.

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Order Ploima.
Sub-order Il-Loricata.

Family Hydatinadæ.

Genus Notops.

N. minor (Rousselet, “Quekett's Journal,” January, 1892) = Postclausa circularis and Postclausa minuta (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

The two forms I figured represent different stages in the growth of the same animal.

Genus Hydatina.

H. seuta (H. and G., ii., p. 9) = H. monops (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst. loc. cit.

My former description was made from a single dead specimen, from the front of whose brain the red jaws were protruding and were mistaken for the eye. I have since found other specimens at Lincoln College.

Family Notommatidæ.

Genus Notommata.

N. pentophthalma (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

N. tripus (H. and G., ii., p. 22): From lily pond, Lincoln College.

Proales decipiens (H. and G., ii., p. 36): Near Lincoln.

Diglena forcipata (H. and G., ii., p. 50): Near Lincoln.

Planoventer varicolor: This is a genus I made for a specimen discovered some years ago. I have never found the animal since, and so leave the name in the meantime. Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

Genus Eosophora.

E. aurita (H. and G., ii., p. 47): Taieri Ferry.

Sub-order Loricata.

Family Rattulidæ.

Genus Mastigocerca.

M. lophoessa (H. and G., ii., p. 60) = M. rectocaudatus (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

Genus Rattulus.

R. tigris (H. and G., ii., p. 65): From Lincoln College.

My specimens were longer and slenderer in body, foot, and mastax than those shown in Gosse's drawings.

R. cimolius (H. and G., ii., p. 66): From Lincoln College.

R. or Cœlopus weberi.

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This is a peculiar little Rotifer that I found a single specimen of. It has a carina along the back of its lorica, and projecting from the front of this a horn-like spine. I therefore called my specimen R. unicornuta; but it had already been described by Dr. Weber in his “Faune Ratatarienne du Bassin du Leman” as Cœlopus porcellus. It was, however, clearly not this species, and it is likely that it will appear as R. or Cœlopus weberi in the monograph of the Rattulidœ that is about to be published by Dr. Jennings, of America.

Genus Cœlopus.

C. tenuior (H. and G., ii., p. 68) = Mastigocerca flectocaudatus (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

C. brachyurus, Gosse (H. and G., ii., p. 69).

Family Dinocharidæ.

Genus Dinocharis.

D. inornata (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

I have seen other specimens of this species, and find them, in outline at least, and in marking of the lorica, exactly like those from which I made my former drawings.

Family Salpinidæ.

Genus Diaschiza.

D. tenuior (H. and G., ii., p. 81), found at Taieri Beach and Lincoln College = D. taurocephalus (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

The variety tenua of my species is not sufficiently different from tenuior to justify the new species. I have since found taurocephalus, and it is at least a very distinct variety of tenuior.

D. semiaperta (H. and G., ii., p. 80): Taieri Beach; Lincoln College.

D. pacta (H. and G., ii., p. 79): Waihola Lake.

D. ventripes (Dixon-Nuttall)?

Family Euchlanidæ.

Genus Euchlanis.

E. dilatata (H. and G., ii., p. 90): Lincoln College.

Family Cathypnidæ.

Genus Cathypna.

C. hudsoni (Lord): I cannot find where recorded.

Very common; in pool, Mount Eden, Auckland.

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Genus Monostyla

M. cornuta (H. and G., ii., p. 98): Lincoln College.

M. lunaris (H. and G., ii., p. 98): “Waihola Lake.

Family Coluridæ.
Genus Colurus

C. amblytelus or caudatus (H. and G., ii., p. 104).

I have found several specimens of one of these species at Lincoln College. All my specimens, however, showed two minute eyes, cervical or frontal, while the ventral opening of the lorica showed all gradations from the gradual opening figured by Gosse in caudatus to the sudden circular opening figured in amblytelus.

Genus Metopidia

M. acuminata (H. and G., ii., p. 107): Taieri Beach.

M. solidus (H. and G., ii., p. 106).

This is by far the commonest species over the whole of these Islands. My variety latusinus was again met with. The M. ovalis, of Anderson and Shephard (Roy. Soc. Victoria, vol. xiv., n.s., part i., p. 69, 1892), is evidently a variety between my two varieties, and to bring the matter into line either M. ovalis should be regarded as a variety or my latusinus as a species. With the exception of M. ovalis, I have found no connecting-links between solidus proper and latusinus. M. triptera (H. and G., ii., p. 108).

This charming little animal is common in the neighbour-hood of Lincoln.

Family Pterodinidæ.
Genus Pterodina.

P. patina (H. and G., ii., p. 112).

This species I found in water squeezed out of swamp moss near Lincoln, and in a small creek running into Lake Waihola it was found in very large numbers.

Family Anuræidæ.
Genus Anuræa.

A. hypelasma (H. and G., ii., p. 103): Auckland.

Genus Notholca.

N. jugosa (H. and G., Supplement, p. 56; Gosse, Journal R.M.S., 1887, p. 1) = N. regularis (mihi). Trans. N.Z. Inst., loc. cit.

I have found at Lincoln many specimens of this species showing gradations between the two varieties regularis and jugosa.

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