Quiet hairyback - HABITANTES DEL MICROMUNDO
May 25, 2020 07:13 · 101 words · 1 minute read
Gastrotichs, also called hairybacks due to their aspect, are microscopic animals living in both fresh and sea water. There are around 800 described species. They are mainly detrivores, and use to swim or slide on the sediment while looking for food Their bodies are covered by thin setae confering the characteristic aspect. A very special singularity of these animals is that the number of cells of their bodies is constant. So, growth is not due to an increasing number of cells but to the enlargement of the original cells. This characteristic, shared with other animals as rotifers, is called eutely. .