Morphological and Molecular Study of Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus (Bertolani, 1982); A new Species of Freshwater Eutardigrada in Kurdistan Region-Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10198924Keywords:
Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus, Tardigrade, Molecular analysis, Smaquli Dam, ErbilAbstract
Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus was obtained from the outflow stream of Smaquli Dam, located in Erbil Governorate, within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. During July 2022, a sample collection was conducted at the study site. The collected samples consisted of populations of D. parthenogeneticus, which were found in conjunction with green algae. The sampling process involved passing a volume of 50 liters of water through a hand net equipped with mesh components measuring 0.45 µm. The initial characterization of this species was conducted through the examination of its morphological features and measurements, alongside the utilization of DNA barcoding techniques. The acquisition of molecular data was accomplished through the process of sequencing the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. These data were subsequently archived in the GenBank database, where they were assigned the unique accession numbers OR501571. The specimens that were collected were determined to belong to D. parthenogeneticus based on the analysis of morphological and molecular analysis. The present observation represents the first documented occurrence of this species within the geographical boundaries of Iraq. Tardigrades offer valuable perspectives on the dynamics of ecosystems, and the interactions between trophic levels, and can serve as indicators of the overall health of an ecosystem and maintaining its balance.
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