A little Japanese enigma

 Mesotardigrada, an ultra mysterious tartigrade

When we talk about microscopic beings, we could not avoid listing the tartigrade, that curious animal that has attracted attention in recent years due to its peculiar composición, In the tartigrade family there are 3 species listed, one of them is the subject of debate and mystery, accompany me to its analysis.

The Nagasaki tartigrade, scientific name Thermozodium esakii, is the only species that makes up the mysterious genus mesotardigrada, inhabiting the Nagasaki region, In Japan, the species was reportedly described in 1937 by German zoologist Gilbert Rahm at a hot spring near Nagasaki, taking a type specimen that was sent to a museum, where its controversial classification was proposed.

Its classification has been the subject of debate, as the type specimen that Rahm used as the basis of his description has been lost or was never preserved in the first place, although considering the zoological and taxonomic standards of the past are inconsistent, therefore it would be difficult to reanalyze everything, therefore, It is not possible to re-examine the original sample; to further complicate matters, the type locality from which Rahm collected his specimen may have been destroyed by an earthquake, or even, by the Nagasaki atomic bomb and subsequent searches for additional specimens matching the original description have been unsuccessful.

Therefore it is believed that it is possibly extinct, oh that could be a misinterpretation of another species.

                [Illustration of the creature]

[Reading links]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesotardigrada