Noteochordodes Miralles and de Villalobos, 2000

Villalobos, Cristina De, Zanca, Fernanda & Salas, Liliana, 2008, Redescription of the genus Noteochordodes, reinterpretation of Noteochordodes dugesi (Camerano, 1898), a new combination of Neochordodes talensis (Camerano, 1897) and a description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 42 (3 - 4), pp. 189-204 : 190-191

Noteochordodes Miralles and de Villalobos, 2000

2000. Noteochordodes Miralles and De Villalobos.

Diagnosis

Body colour varies from light brown to dark brown. Anterior end is slightly conical in shape. A white cap and a dark collar are not present. The male posterior end is undivided with a ventral groove. The cloacal opening is subterminal on the ventral side. The cloacal opening is oval and can be surrounded by bristles called circumcloacal bristles. Anterolateral of the cloacal opening are paired rows of scattered bristles. Posterior to the cloacal opening are short spine-like cuticular structures ( Figure 2A ).

The posterior end of females is round and rather distended in its apex. The cloacal opening is round and terminal.

The body cuticle contains one or two types of areoles. Areoles are arranged either isolated or grouped in two, three or more areoles. Areolar surface can be smooth or with a central depression. There are clusters of two areoles with a central tubercle between them; these areoles are not larger than the surrounding ones ( Figure 5C ). There are also isolated areoles very close to a tubercle with a round apex, placed laterally to the areole and not surpassing the areolar height ( Figure 3D ). Another constant characteristic in the cuticle of the species of the genus Noteochordodes is the presence of a very wide interareolar furrow crossed by cuticular cords where scattered minute spines or round apex tubercles can be found.

Comments

The genus Noteochordodes presents the male posterior end undivided, a characteristic shared with other genus of Gordiida such as Chordodes Creplin, 1847 ( De Villalobos et al. 2004; De Villalobos et al. 2005; Zanca and De Villalobos 2005), Euchordodes Heinze, 1937 ( Schmidt-Rhaesa et al. 1998), Lanochordodes Kirjanova, 1950 ( Schmidt-Rhaesa 2002), Neochordodes Carvalho, 1942 ( Miralles and De Villalobos 1996) Pseudochordodes Carvalho, 1942 ( Carvalho 1942) and Spinochordodes Kirjanova, 1950 ( Schmidt-Rhaesa 2001; Zanca and Schmidt- Rhaesa 2006). Additionally, Noteochordodes shows a cluster of two areoles with the central tubercle between them. This pattern has been described for other genus among gordiids ( Schmidt-Rhaesa 2001) as in Chordodes ( De Villalobos and Miralles 1997) , Euchordodes ( Schmidt-Rhaesa et al. 1998) , Gordionus Müller, 1927 (Schmidt- Rhaesa 2001), Parachordodes Camerano, 1897 ( Schmidt-Rhaesa 1997), Paragordionus Heinze, 1935 ( Schmidt-Rhaesa 1997) and Pseudochordodes Carvalho, 1942 ( Carvalho 1942) . In spite of these similarities, Noteochordodes presents cuticular features with unique areolar types. There are one or two types of areoles both of which may be rounded or oval. In one type, the apical surface is depressed. Areoles are scattered over the cuticle or grouped in two, three or more areoles. A megareolar pattern is present. There are scattered areoles showing a round apex tubercle in one of their lateral parts, and the interareolar furrow is very wide and crossed by cuticular cords with minute spines. This whole set of features of Noteochordodes , makes this genus clearly different from the other known Gordiida genus.

Figures

Figure 2. Noteochordodes saltae. A. Male (MLP 5047), posterior end showing the cloacal opening with circumcloacal spines and rows of scattered bristles. B. Female (MLP 3144), posterior end covered with a sperm mass. C-D Male (MLP 5047), mid body cuticle showing areoles with the apical surface flat or depressed (arrow), clusters of two areoles with a central tubercle between them and areoles with a lateral tubercle. Note the interareolar furrow crossed by cuticular cords with minute spines. Bars: A, B 100 mm, C 100 mm, D 20 mm.

Figure 3. Noteochordodes talensis. A. Posterior end of male (MRSNT G6) showing scattered bristles (arrows), short spines and the cuticle covered by areoles. B. Mid body cuticle of female (MRSNT G41) showing areoles low and mainly arranged isolated or in areolar groups with no more than two areoles. Note a tubercle between two areoles (arrow). C. Cuticle pattern of male (MRSNT G6). D. Detail of isolated areole with a tubercle in a lateral concavity. Bars: A-C 100 mm, D 10 mm.

Figure 5. Noteochordodes achosmosus n sp. Holotype. A. Ventral view on posterior end showing the cloacal opening and scattered bristles over the ventral side (arrows). B. Cuticle from the anterior region of the body. C, D. Cuticle from mid body showing disorderly arranged. Note a tubercle between areoles which originates in a circular depression (black arrow) and a tubercle placed laterally to isolate areole (white arrow). Bars: A, B 100mm, C, D 20 mm.