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Therotiferbodycoverconsistsofasyncytialepitheliumandthecuticlese-
cretedbyit.Thecuticleplaysaprotectivefunction:althoughdelicateandelastic,
itissturdyandresistanttoeffectsofenvironmentalfactors.Thetrunkcuticlemay
becomesubstantiallythickenedtoformaloricaintowhichtheheadandthefoot
canberetracted,ifnecessary.Theloricamaybesmooth,rough,ornamentedin
variousways,equippedwithspinesorevenwithelongatedmotileprocesses,char-
acteristicofplanktonicrotifers.Particularlyinterestinginthisrespectisthegenus
Hexarthra,representativesofwhichalwaysshowsixmotileprocessesusedto
facilitatelongleaps.Sessilerotifersoftensecreteagelatinoussheathtowhich
theysometimesattach,inintricatepatterns,foreignparticles(e.g.,Melicertasp.).
Thecuticlemaybeverythinandelasticor,conversely,thickandstiff,
particularlywhenitformsthelorica.Theloricaofnumerousspeciesdevelops
intoakindofacapsulewithaperturesfortheheadandfoot.Inotherspecies,
theloricaconsistsofseparateplates,joinedbythebodycover.Thedorsalplate
Fig.2.Examplesofdifferenttypesofthelorica(afterWULFERT1969);A-Testudinella;
B-Lepadella;C-Colurella;D-Macrochaetus;E-Trichotria;F-Trichocercacylindrica;
G-Polyarthra;H-Brachionus;I-Cephalodella;J-Pompholyx
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