New Animal Species Reported in Svalbard
A new study describes a previously unrecognised species of water bear found among fallen leaves in Svalbard.
In a new study published in Polar Biology, Polish researchers describe a new tardigrade species found in leaf litter on Spitsbergen.
The tardigrade, Paramacrobiotus klimaszyki, had not previously been recognised and named as a distinct species. Interestingly, however, the researchers say their genetic results suggest that an unidentified tardigrade reported from nearby Ragnardalen in a 2020 study belonged to the same species.
Meet the water bears
Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, are microscopic invertebrates found around the world. They live in places where at least a thin film of water is available. They range from around 50 micrometres to one millimetre in length and have eight short legs ending in claws. Some species are also famous for surviving periods of drying by entering a state of extremely reduced activity.
Svalbard is particularly well studied for tardigrades. Previous research, however, has focused mainly on their more typical habitats, while leaf litter from vascular plants has received much less attention.
The sample behind the new study was collected in August 2024, close to the Polish research station at Petuniabukta, operated by Adam Mickiewicz University. Researchers gathered fallen leaves from beneath mountain avens, a small flowering Arctic plant, and transported the dried material back to a laboratory in Poland.
There, part of the leaf litter was soaked in water and stirred to separate the tiny animals and their eggs from the plant material. From a single sample, the researchers extracted 16 tardigrades and 15 eggs belonging to the new species. The animals are described as transparent or white and eyeless, with stout claws and mostly smooth bodies.
How do you recognise a new species?
That is not necessarily easy with tardigrades. Closely related species can look remarkably similar, so the researchers combined detailed microscopy with DNA analysis.
Features of the animals’ legs and mouthparts, together with the distinctive structure of their eggs, separated them from known relatives. The researchers also sequenced four genetic markers and used them to examine the new species’ evolutionary relationships and support its identification as a distinct species.
The researchers named it Paramacrobiotus klimaszyki in honour of Professor Piotr Klimaszyk of Adam Mickiewicz University, recognising his contributions to Polish research in Svalbard as well as his support and guidance.
The discovery also marks a milestone for the archipelago. P. klimaszyki becomes the 100th tardigrade species recorded from Svalbard and the first species new to science to be discovered in deciduous leaf litter there.
The finding shows that even seemingly ordinary Arctic habitats can contain overlooked diversity. In this case, discovering a new species did not require travelling to an unexplored glacier or diving beneath the sea ice. It was waiting among fallen leaves.
Dr. Yana Kirichenko, PolarJournal
