Figure 1

Metazoans retrieved from the deep hypersaline anoxic L'Atalante basin. (a) Light microscopy (LM) image of a Copepod exuvium (stained with Rose Bengal); (b) LM image of dead nematode (stained with Rose Bengal); (c) LM image of the undescribed species of Spinoloricus (Loricifera; stained with Rose Bengal); (d) LM image of the undescribed species of Spinoloricus stained with Rose Bengal showing the presence of an oocyte; (e) LM image of the undescribed species of Rugiloricus (Loricifera, stained with Rose Bengal) with an oocyte; (f) LM image of the undescribed species of Pliciloricus (Loricifera, non stained with Rose Bengal); (g) LM image of moulting exuvium of the undescribed species of Spinoloricus. Note the strong staining of the internal structures in the stained loriciferans (c and d) vs. the pale colouration of the copepod and nematode (a, b). The loriciferan illustrated in Figure 1e was repeatedly washed to highlight the presence of the internal oocyte. Scale bars, 50 μm.