Styraconyx nanoqsunguak Kristensen & Higgins 1984

This is a species from the hallasi group described from deep subtidal localities off the coast of Greenland but later reported mainly from the shallow subtidal zone in the Mediterranean basin (also in marine caves) and warm water in the tropical zone of the Indian Ocean. Recently it was also found in the deep subtidal zone of Faroe Bank and shallow subtidal zone of the Black Sea. Based on the Greenlandic cold water type locality, taxonomic problems in the genus Styraconyx, and similarities between species from this genus, it is our opinion that specimens from the Mediterranean basin, the Black Sea and tropical waters require reexamination. This is especially important in the light of several recent studies, which suggest marine tardigrades have generally rather restricted distributions and are connected with specific ecological conditions (Faurby et al. 2011, see also Kristensen & Higgins 1984a).