Sexual reproductive biology of twelve species of rotifers in the genera: <i>Brachionus</i>, <i>Cephalodella</i>, <i>Collotheca</i>, <i>Epiphanes</i>, <i>Filinia</i>, <i>Lecane,</i> and <i>Trichocerca</i>

We provide descriptions of the sexual reproductive biology of 12 species of rotifers from seven families and seven genera: <i>Brachionus angularis, B. araceliae, B. ibericus, B. quadridentatus</i> (Brachionidae); <i>Cephalodella catellina</i> (Notommatidae)<i>; Collotheca ornata</i> (Collothecidae); <i>Epiphanes brachionus</i> (Epiphanidae), <i>Filinia novaezealandiae</i> (Trochosphaeridae); <i>Lecane nana, L. leontina, L. bulla</i> (Gosse 1851) (Lecanidae); and <i>Trichocerca stylata</i> (Trichocercidae). Data include: (a) video-recordings of 10 of the 12 species (the exceptions are two common species, <i>B. angularis</i> and <i>B. ibericus</i>), (b) scanning electron micrographs of <i>B. araceliae</i>, <i>B. ibericus</i>, <i>C. catellina,</i> and <i>E</i>. <i>brachionus</i> females, (c) light micrographs of <i>C. catellina, C. ornata, F. novaezealandiae</i>, <i>L. bulla</i>, <i>L. leontina, L. nana,</i> and <i>T. stylata</i> diapausing embryos, males, and unfertilized sexual eggs. This study challenges the common perception that mating behavior consists of five steps, and provides: (a) the first documentation of sexual cannibalism in <i>C. catellina</i>, (b) the first description of the sexual reproductive behaviors of <i>C. ornata</i>, <i>L. bulla, L. leontina, L. nana</i>, and <i>T. stylata</i>, (c) the first description of the males of <i>F</i>. <i>novaezealandiae</i>, <i>L. leontina, L. nana,</i> and <i>T. stylata</i>. Moreover, this study includes analyses of morphological and behavioral variation among males of the seven families studied.本数据集针对隶属于7科7属的12种轮虫（rotifer）的有性生殖生物学特征展开描述：臂尾轮科（Brachionidae）的角突臂尾轮虫（*Brachionus angularis*）、阿拉塞利臂尾轮虫（*B. araceliae*）、伊比利亚臂尾轮虫（*B. ibericus*）、四齿臂尾轮虫（*B. quadridentatus*）；头叶轮科（Notommatidae）的头叶轮虫（*Cephalodella catellina*）；冠轮科（Collothecidae）的华丽冠轮虫（*Collotheca ornata*）；晶囊轮科（Epiphanidae）的臂形晶囊轮虫（*Epiphanes brachionus*）；旋轮科（Trochosphaeridae）的新西兰旋轮虫（*Filinia novaezealandiae*）；镜轮科（Lecanidae，由Gosse于1851年建立）的微小镜轮虫（*Lecane nana*）、狮镜轮虫（*L. leontina*）、泡镜轮虫（*L. bulla*）；以及三肢轮科（Trichocercidae）的针簇三肢轮虫（*Trichocerca stylata*）。本数据集包含如下内容：(1) 12种轮虫中10种的视频录像（缺失的两种为常见种：角突臂尾轮虫与伊比利亚臂尾轮虫）；(2) 阿拉塞利臂尾轮虫、伊比利亚臂尾轮虫、头叶轮虫以及臂形晶囊轮虫雌性个体的扫描电子显微镜图像；(3) 头叶轮虫、华丽冠轮虫、新西兰旋轮虫、泡镜轮虫、狮镜轮虫、微小镜轮虫以及针簇三肢轮虫的滞育胚胎、雄性个体与未受精有性卵的光学显微镜图像。本研究驳斥了"交配行为包含五个步骤"的普遍认知，并取得多项创新性成果：(1) 首次记录了头叶轮虫的性食同类行为；(2) 首次描述了华丽冠轮虫、泡镜轮虫、狮镜轮虫、微小镜轮虫以及针簇三肢轮虫的有性生殖行为；(3) 首次对新西兰旋轮虫、狮镜轮虫、微小镜轮虫以及针簇三肢轮虫的雄性个体进行形态描述。此外，本研究还对本次研究涉及的7个科轮虫的雄性个体形态与行为变异展开了分析。