During a survey of the marine rotifers of the Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy, we found a total of 20 taxa, including a new species of Lecane. This novelty, Lecane insulaconae sp. nov., occurred in the interstitial area of sandy sediment in the outlet of the Isonzo River, at a salinity Of 30 parts per thousand and is therefore the first exclusively marine representative of this diverse (similar to 200 species) genus. It is characterized by unique sets of anterolateral projections on the ventral and dorsal lorica. Here, we present the description of the species, together with scanning electron microscopy pictures of trophi of this and some other species, and an account of the marine rotifers encountered during the survey. |
