ИСТИНА

Three tardigrade species are discovered in a restoring mangrove habitat in the Nha Trang area, Central Vietnam. Halechiniscus jejuensis Chang et Rho 2002 was originally described at the southernmost point of the Korean Peninsula, hence the new find extends considerably the geographic distribution of the species southwards to the tropical zone. The Vietnamese specimens slightly differ from the Korean ones in shape and number of the lateral body expansions. Florarctus sp. is possibly a new species differing from related species by the shape of lateral cuticular alae and longer primary clavae. Batillipes sp. may represent another new species differing from related species B. gilmartini and B. pennaki by other shape toe suckers and other shape and number of lateral body projections. Both Halechiniscus jejuensis and Florarctus sp. but not Batillipes sp. bear thicket of thread-like colonial prokaryotes on ventral surface of the head.