Pleioplana atomata (O.F. Müller, 1776)

Fig. 5A

Planaria atomata O.F. Müller, 1776: 37, pl. XXXII, figs 3–4.

Planaria punctata O.F. Müller, 1776: 223 .

Leptoplana fallax Diesing, 1840: 198 –199 .

Leptoplana droebachensis Oersted, 1845: 415 .

Polycelis variabilis Girard, 1851: 251 .

Planaria maculata Dalyell, 1853: 104 –106, pl. IV, figs 27–32.

Leptoplana ellipsoides Girard, 1854: 27, table 2, fig. 16.

Leptoplana virilis Verrill, 1893: 478, table 43, figs 1, 1a.

Leptoplana angusta Verrill, 1893: 485, table 40, fig. 8, table 44, figs 2, 2a, 3.

Leptoplana atomata – Oersted 1843: 569; 1844: 49, 79, pl. II, fig. 24. — Leuckart 1847: 149; 1859: 183. — Diesing 1850: 197; 1862: 532. — Maitland 1851: 187–188. — Stimpson 1857: 21. — Johnston 1869: 7. — MacIntosh 1874: 150. — Möbius 1875: 154.

Notoplana atomata – Bock 1913: 195–202, pl. IV, fig. 8, pl. X, figs 3, 6, 8–9.

Planaria atomata – Gmelin 1789: 3091.— Fleming 1823: 297. — Delle Chiaje 1841: 179. — Blainville 1826: 217. — Forbes & Goodsir 1839: 353. — Johnston 1845: 436.

Pleioplana atomata – Faubel 1983: 117.

Leptoplana droebachensis – Diesing 1862: 526. — Jensen 1878: 76, pl. VII, figs 10–14. — Lang 1884: 494–495.

Notoplana fallax – Bock 1913: 204–205.

Polycelis fallax – Quatrefages 1845: 135, pl. 3, fig. 10, pl. 7, fig. 1, pl. 8, figs 1, 7.

Leptoplana fallax – Stimpson 1857: 31. — Diesing 1862: 533. — Lang 1884: 492. — Vaillant 1890: 654. — Hallez 1893: 166. — Laidlaw 1903: 308.

Leptoplana variabilis – Diesing 1862: 542.

Leptoplana ellipsoides – Stimpson 1857: 27. — Diesing 1862: 533. — Verrill 1874: 43, 45, 132; 1893: 483, pl. 40, figs 5–6, pl. 42, figs 4, 4 a–b; 1895: 533. — Lang 1884: 512. — Girard 1893: 200, pl. 6, fig. 61. — Whiteaves 1901: 63.

Notoplana virilis – Bock 1913: 208.

Leptoplana angusta – Pearse 1938: 76–77, fig. 26.

Material examined

One mature, sagittally sectioned specimen deposited in the invertebrate collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid (Spain). Cat Nr: MNCN 4.01/763 to MNCN 4.01/834 (72 slides) .

Type locality

NORWAY.

Description

Body shape elongated. Cryptic colour. Opaque dorsal appearance. Longitudinal median line not outstanding. Heterogeneous mottled background with maculae or patches. Smooth dorsal surface. Nuchal tentacles absent. Tentacular knobs present. Marginal eyes absent. Tentacles absent; instead tentacular eyes present in rounded and compact clusters. Dorsal and ventral frontal eyes absent. Cerebral eyes in two clusters. Pharynx located at end of first body third, strongly ruffled and ventrally oriented. Oral pore position in second body third and in the posterior region of pharynx. Intestine with numerous branches without anastomosis. Intestinal vesicles absent. Gonopores clearly separated.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. Single male pore. Male apparatus not enclosed within muscular bulb, oriented backwards and located in last body third. Ejaculatory duct with straight stylet. Prostatic vesicle interpolated. Connection between ejaculatory duct and prostatic vesicle with projection. Internal glandular lining of prostatic vesicle with tubular chambers. Extravesicular prostatic secretion. Prostatic glands located at proximal end of prostatic vesicle. Seminal vesicle simple or spindle-like. Spermiducal bulbs present.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. Vagina elongated, tube-like, looping towards male complex. Enlarged Lang’s vesicle. Paired uterus. Uterine vesicles absent. Tube-like cement chamber. Endolecithal eggs.

Biology

Commonly found along coastal shores, mainly under stones.

Distribution

Along the northern Atlantic.