Effects of Methyl Bromide Fumigation on Anhydrobiotic Micrometazoans

摘要

Anhydrobiotic organisms are well known for their resistance to extreme environmental conditions while in the inactive, am- etabolic, state. This study confirms that this resistance also transfers to treatments with the fumigant methyl bromide. Live specimens of nematodes, rotifers, and tardigrades were found after 70 h of treatment with methyl bromide. Quantitative esti- mates of survival in the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer re- vealed no difference between treated and untreated samples which had been kept dry for a short time. However, R. coronifer from samples collected 11 months before treatment had lower survival compared to samples collected shortly before the treat- ment.