Abstract
We review the rare Chinese rotifer Notholca dongtingensis Zhuge, Kutikova & Sudzuki, 1998, including abundant mate-rial collected during the winter months of 2009–2011 in and around the man-made Dishui Lake Southeast of Shanghai,PR China. Both an SEM study of its trophi and an account of its intraspecific variability are provided. The latter consistsin particular of a unique and previously unknown type of spine formation involving the anterolateral spines, a characterpreviously considered morphologically constant and even diagnostic in Notholca and related genera. The observations in-dicate that phenotypic plasticity invoked by a plesiomorphic triggering mechanism is not per se connected to the type orposition of structures developed, but may activate responses resulting in the formation of quite different, autapomorphic structures throughout monogonont Rotifera.References
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