Rhinoglena Ehrenberg, 1853

Segers, Hendrik & Walsh, Elizabeth J., 2017, The genus Rhinoglena (Rotifera, Monogononta, Ephiphanidae) in North America, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4290 (1), pp. 113-122 : 114

Rhinoglena Ehrenberg, 1853

Type species: Rhinoglena frontalis Ehrenberg, 1853

sub. Diglena (Rhinoglena) frontalis Ehrenberg, 1853 : p. 190, 193

Synonym: Rhinops Hudson, 1869 . Type species: R. vitrea Hudson, 1869

Amended diagnosis: Body conical or cylindrical, transparent, lorica weakly developed; foot short, with small toes; apical area with proboscis; frontal eyes paired, with lens; dorsal antenna on proboscis; mouth in funnel. Mastax small, trophi malleate, unci with 6–9 functional teeth. Vitellarium with 6–16 nuclei; parthenogenetic reproduction viviparous or oviparous. Male with developed digestive tract including mastax ( Melone 2001).

Comments: We suggest broadening the generic diagnosis of Rhinoglena rather than erect a new taxon at the genus level for the morphospecies described below, based on the following considerations:

The peculiar corona with the proboscis presents a unique synapomorphic feature uniting R. frontalis , R. fertoeensis , R. tokioensis , R. kutikovae and the two morphospecies described below in a supraspecific taxon within the family EPIPHANIDAE ;

Ovipary and vivipary are used inconsistently in the diagnosis of rotifer supraspecific taxa: compare Adineta and Asplanchnopus , in which both ovipary and vivipary occur, with Lindia (oviparous) versus Halolindia (viviparous) and Rotaria (viviparous) versus Macrotrachela (oviparous). This inconsistency argues against the use of the feature for the diagnosis of supraspecific taxa in Rotifera.