Loxosomella cubana, Varela, Carlos, Figueroa, Manuel Tierno De & Sánchez-Tocino, Luis, 2011

Varela, Carlos, Figueroa, Manuel Tierno De & Sánchez-Tocino, Luis, 2011, A new species of Loxosomatidae (Entoprocta) from the Atlantic Ocean: Loxosomella cubana n. sp., Zootaxa 3051, pp. 57-61 : 57-58

Loxosomella cubana n. sp.

( Figs 1, 2 ; Table 1)

Material examined. Holotype: ANC. 0 6. 0 10 and paratypes ANC. 0 6.011, deposited in the Marine Natural Collection of the Cuba National Aquarium (Havana, Cuba). All individuals of the new species were collected on and inside the channels of the sponge Aiolochroia crassa growing in the Cuba National Aquarium (Havana, Cuba) on 15 April 2011.

Type locality. Cuba National Aquarium (Havana, Cuba).

Etymology. The species is named after the country, Cuba, where it was collected.

Description. A large species; holotype 3000 µm long in life (from the apex of the calyx to the end of the foot), comprising calyx length of 740 µm (calyx width 530 µm) and stalk length 1795 µm (stalk width 170 µm); foot without lateral lobes, foot length 465 µm, foot width ca. 250 µm. Stalk length was measured as distance between basal end of calyx (at minimum width) and basal end of foot. Biometrical data of the holotype and some other live individuals are given in Table 1.

Tentacle number 18 in all studied individuals (holotype and paratypes); tentacle length in live animal ca. 350 µm.

Calyx ca. 1.4–1.5 times longer than wide (although tentacle crown is circular), without lateral expansions or wings/lobes, gradually narrowing towards stalk. No conspicuous gland cells observed in calyx. Gonads spherical, situated above lateral parts of stomach. Stomach with almost parallel sides, slightly longer than wide, pointed basally and slightly narrower at its apex.

Foot without lateral wings. Main foot gland oval. Middle groove of foot clearly lined by glandular cells on both sides. Some specimens carried a lateral bud at the level of the lateral expansion of the calyx. Bud on holotype: 840 µm total length, 260 µm calyx width.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photograph of a live individual of Loxosomella cubana n. sp. with a large bud.