Checklist of Indian Tardigrades and its Status Survey

Elssa Ann Koshy

Abstract: Information on the species diversity of tardigrades and research on tardigrades are scanty India. This species gains attention in present days, due to it highly adaptive ability to tide over the extreme conditions like temperature, pressure and radiation. The study consolidated all the reports of tardigrades present in India and updates the number of species reported from India as 50. Most of the species are reported from the Sikkim and the Andaman Islands. The greater number of species falls under the genera Macrobiotus.

Keywords: Tardigrade diversity, Indian species, Water bears