Two new Mediterranean species of the genus Halechiniscus (Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada)

Halechinisats macroaphalus and H. paratuleari, two new species of marine Tardigrada (Heterotardigrada: Arthrotardigrada) are described from the Mediterranean. They display evident plesiomor-phic characteristics such as large unpaired medial cirrus, cephalic region deeply divided in lobes and evident lateral processes. Furthermore, H. paratuleari shows the same arrangement of the cephalic cirri as do Stygarctidae. All these elements confirm the close relationship between Halechiniscidae, mainly Halechiniscinae, and Stygarctidae.