Cheliplana varicauda Brunet, 1971

Gobert, Stefan, Diez, Yander L., Monnens, Marlies, Reygel, Patrick, Van Steenkiste, Niels W. L., Leander, Brian S. & Artois, Tom, 2021, A revision of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 (Rhabdocoela: Schizorhynchia), with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 453-494 : 485

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4970.3.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FEABE248-E1EA-48F5-A1AF-0077FE40C257
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4766814
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E0878B-1857-FFB2-62BE-1B0AFD09CBC1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cheliplana varicauda Brunet, 1971
status

Treatment

Material examined. Reference material. 2 whole mounts ( SMNH 82471–82472 View Materials ) and 1 serially sectioned specimen ( SMNH Type 3034) .

Known distribution. Bay of Valdibora, Rovinj, Croatia ( Brunet 1971). Golfe de Marseille, France ( Brunet 1971).

Remarks. Our observations correspond to those of Brunet (1971). Live specimens appear orange-pink. The caudal region is conspicuous and highly extensible, similar to the situation in Cheliplana sarnensis . Near the caudal body end, a single, continuous adhesive girdle is present. A pair of seminal vesicles and prostatic glands empty into the proximal end of the elongate copulatory bulb and form an elongate prostatic vesicle. A long, curved ejaculatory duct is present, which distally becomes a sclerotised cirrus, armed with fine spines. Longitudinal muscles surround the copulatory bulb. Circular muscles were not observed. The copulatory organ opens into a small male atrium, which immediately connects to a common genital atrium. The latter receives the female atrial organs and a large, globular mass of lightly coloured (eosinophilic) glands. Coarse-grained, basophilic cement glands also empty into the common genital atrium close to the gonopore.

The opening of the vagina externa is located a short distance posterior to the gonopore. The vaginal walls are sinuous and muscular, clearly surrounded by longitudinal muscles. The vaginal opening can be closed with a sphincter. Proximally, the vagina leads on into a large, syncytial and poorly delineated bursa, which shows large vacuoles containing sperm. Three sclerotised spermatic ducts connect the bursa to the large ovary, situated alongside the male copulatory apparatus and the bursa.