Loricifera

Loricifera is a phylum of microscopic marine invertebrates whose adults live among sediment grains and bear a protective, armor-like lorica.

Lorica: A protective external covering, especially the rigid or armor-like casing of certain microscopic animals. This cuticular casing gives adult loriciferans their defining armored appearance.
Loriciferan life cycle: The sequence of developmental stages through which a loriciferan grows and reproduces. Its stages include larvae and adults with markedly different body forms.
Reinhardt Kristensen: A Danish zoologist who discovered and formally described Loricifera. His sediment studies revealed the first known loriciferans.
Deep-sea fauna: The animals that inhabit the ocean's deep regions, including the seabed and water column. Several loriciferans have been found in deep-sea sediments.
Loriciferan phylogeny: The evolutionary relationships among Loricifera species and their position within Ecdysozoa. Few species and limited genetic data constrain reconstruction of the phylum's history.
Introvert (Loricifera): The retractable anterior region of a loriciferan, bearing mouthparts and sensory structures. Its retraction lets the animal draw exposed structures into the lorica.
Higgins larva: A loriciferan larva with a lorica and a retractable introvert bearing scalids. This distinctive stage is often the form in which loriciferans are collected.
Nanaloricus mysticus: The first described species of Loricifera, collected from marine sediment near Roscoff, France. Its description established Loricifera as a distinct phylum.
Hydrothermal vent: A seafloor opening that releases geothermally heated, mineral-rich fluid. Reports of loriciferans from anoxic vent sediments raised questions about their habitat limits.
Loriciferan biodiversity: The variety and distribution of species within the phylum Loricifera. Many habitats remain poorly sampled, so known species likely represent only part of the diversity.

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