Tardigrada

E394915

Tardigrada is a phylum of microscopic, water-dwelling animals known as water bears, famous for their extreme resilience to harsh environmental conditions.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Tardigrada canonical 3

Statements (79)

Predicate Object
instanceOf phylum
bodyPlan segmented body
bodySymmetry bilateral symmetry
canEnterState tun state
cellNumber fixed cell number in many species (eutely)
clade Panarthropoda
commonName moss piglets
tardigrades
water bears
cuticleType chitinous cuticle
describedBy Johann August Ephraim Goeze
describedInYear 1773
developmentType direct development
diet algae
bacteria
plant cells
small invertebrates
distribution cosmopolitan
eggLaying eggs often laid in molted cuticle
eggType yolky eggs
etymology Latin for “slow stepper”
feedingType carnivorous
herbivorous
omnivorous
fossilRecord Cambrian Period
surface form: Cambrian period

Cretaceous amber
foundIn deep sea
high mountains
polar regions
foundOn all continents
gasExchange across body surface
genomeFeature genes associated with DNA damage repair
proteins that protect against radiation damage
habitat freshwater
marine
soil
terrestrial mosses and lichens
hasApproximateSpeciesCount 1300
hasCirculatorySystem no specialized circulatory system
hasClaws true
hasCryptobiosis true
hasCuticle true
hasLegCount 8
hasLegPairs 4
hasMolting true
hasNervousSystem true
hasRespiratorySystem no specialized respiratory organs
hasSexes dioecious in many species
includedIn invertebrates
kingdom Animalia
lifeSpan a few months to a few years depending on conditions
locomotion walking on claws
movementSpeed very slow
notableExperiment survival in open space exposure
relatedTo Arthropoda
Onychophora
reproductionMode asexual reproduction
parthenogenesis
sexual reproduction
researchUse model for astrobiology
model for desiccation tolerance
model for extremophile biology
sentTo low Earth orbit experiments
sizeRange 0.05–1.2 mm
studyField tardigradology
superphylum Ecdysozoa
survivalStrategy anhydrobiosis
anoxybiosis
cryobiosis
osmobiosis
tolerates extreme cold
extreme desiccation
extreme heat
high levels of ionizing radiation
high pressure
high salinity
low oxygen
vacuum of outer space
typicalSize 0.3–0.5 mm

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Lophotrochozoa includesTaxon Tardigrada
Ecdysozoa contains Tardigrada
Protostomia includes Tardigrada