Haliplectus Cobb, 1913

Waheed, Samina, Decraemer, Wilfrida, Kazi, Nasira, Tariq, Rajput Muhammed & Iqbal, Erum, 2024, Description of two new species of Haliplectus Cobb, 1913 (Nematoda, Plectida, Haliplectidae) from mangrove areas of Sandspit backwater, Karachi, Pakistan, Zootaxa 5468 (1), pp. 154-166 : 163-164

Key to the valid species of Haliplectus Cobb, 1913

1 Monopartite esophageal basal bulb (without transverse break within basal bulb).................................... 2

˗ Bipartite esophageal basal bulb (one transverse break evident within basal bulb).................................. 14

2 Amphidial fovea situated more posteriorly than two times head width............................................ 3

˗ Amphidial fovea situated more anteriorly than two times head width............................................. 4

3 Stoma without teeth or denticles............................................................. H. conicephalus

˗ Stoma with one small tooth.................................................................... H. algoensis

4 Longer tail (62 µm)........................................................................ H. obtusicauda

˗ Shorter tail (less than 62 µm)............................................................................ 5

5 Esophageal basal bulb with striated valve plates............................................................. 6

˗ Esophageal basal bulb with unstriated valve plates........................................................... 7

6 Precloacal supplements present; three tubular precloacal supplements arranged wide apart (non-contiguous); tail= 40–51 µm......................................................................................... H. tripapillatus ˗ Precloacal supplements absent; tail= 42 µm.................................................... H. leptocephalus

7 Only females present.................................................................................. 8

˗ Both males and females present.......................................................................... 9

8 Reproductive system monodelphic; tail= 34–40 µm.............................................. H. monodelphis

˗ Reproductive system didelphic.......................................................................... 10

9 Vulva percentage 52.6–56.1; tail= 34–42 µm................................................... H. seychellensis

˗ Vulva percentage less than 52.......................................................................... 11

10 Smaller body width (20 µm); higher value of a (23.0); tail= 50 µm; V %= 45.6.......................... H. bruneiensis

˗ Wider body width (27–30 µm); lower value of a (18.2–20.3); tail= 33–35; V %=50.1–53.3.................... H. gracilis

11 Higher value of a (34.4); tail= 43 µm; Spicules=31.2 µm; V %= 43.................................... H. pellucidus

˗ Lower value of a (less than 34.0)........................................................................ 12

12 Longer Spicules (32 µm); a= 30.0; tail= 34 µm; V %= 46.............................................. H. dorsalis

˗ Shorter Spicules (less than 32 µm)....................................................................... 13

13 Males body length shorter than 1 mm; a= 32.0; tail=41 µm; Spicules=30 µm; V %=41.8–51.0................. H. robustus

˗ Males body length longer than 1 mm; a= 25.0–28.9; tail= 40–45 µm; Spicules= 30–31 µm; V %= 41.7–47.7..... H. wheeleri

14 Tail with a papilla like ventral bulge at the end............................................................. 15

˗ Tail without papilla like ventral bulge at the end............................................................ 16

15 Amphidial fovea situated more anteriorly 0.8 times head width................................... H. caudopapillatus

˗ Amphidial fovea situated more posteriorly than 0.8 times head width............................... H. brevispiculatus

16 Stoma with two small denticles............................................................. H. bidenticulatus

˗ Stoma without denticles............................................................................... 17

17 Only females present................................................................................. 18

˗ Both males and females present......................................................................... 19

18 Reproductive system monodelphic; V %= 52.2–57.7............................................. H. shahinae n. sp.

˗ Reproductive system didelphic.......................................................................... 20

19 Precloacal supplements absent.......................................................................... 21

˗ Precloacal supplements present......................................................................... 22

20 Body length longer than 1 mm; V %= 40.4–47.0............................................ H. sandspitensis n. sp.

˗ Body length shorter than 1 mm; V %= 45.0–49.5....................................................... H. minor

21 Shorter Spicules (24–25 µm)................................................................... H. futianisus

˗ Longer Spicules (52 µm)..................................................................... H. bibulbosus

22 Esophageal basal bulb with striated valve plates............................................................ 23

˗ Esophageal basal bulb with unstriated valve plates.......................................................... 24

23 Higher value of c (18.8–26.3); five to seven contiguous supplements...................................... H. major

˗ Lower value of c (less than 18.8)........................................................................ 25

24 Arrangements of supplements wide apart (non-contiguous); lower value of c (11.3–12.4)..................... H. schulzi

˗ Arrangement of supplements contiguous; higher value of c (higher than 13.0).................................... 26

25 Lower value of b (7.1–7.8); c= 11.3–11.9; two fleshy precloacal supplements arranged non-contiguous.. H. cylindrocaudatus

˗ Higher value of b (higher than 7.8)...................................................................... 27

26 Vulva percentage less than 48.......................................................................... 28

˗ Vulva percentage higher than 48........................................................................ 29

27 Shorter tail (43 µm); b= 8.1; c= 11.5; four contiguous supplements...................................... H. minimus

˗ Longer tail (55 µm); b= 8.4; c= 13.8–14.5; five to six contiguous supplements........................... H. salicornius

28 Smaller head width (4.0–4.5 µm); c= 13.8–16.0; three contiguous and 1 near cloaca supplements; V %= 41.0–44.3 H. iranicus

˗ Wider head width (wider than 5 µm)..................................................................... 30

29 Gubernaculum with apophysis; c= 18.2–24.0; four contiguous precloacal supplements; V %= 51.2–56.7.......... H. onepui

˗ Gubernaculum without apophysis; c= 19.0–33.0; four contiguous precloacal supplements; V %= 49.0........... H. bickneri

30 Shorter esophagus (72–85 µm); c= 14.0–21.0 µm; three contiguous and one ventromedian supplements near to cloaca; V %= 42.1–45.3............................................................................... H. paradorsalis

˗ Longer esophagus (>85 µm)............................................................................ 31

31 Shorter stoma (30–42 µm); b= 11.2–13.0; c= 20.6–28.3; three contiguous supplements; V %= 42.0–47.0.... H. pakistanensis

˗ Longer stoma (85 µm); b= 11.5; c= 20; six contiguous supplements; V %= 48.0.......................... H. floridanus