Aulophorus kalina, Viviane, 2002

Righi, Gilberto & Hamoui, Viviane, 2002, Oligochaeta, Naididae Of The West Indies And Adjacent Regions, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 42 (6), pp. 119-167 : 136-137

Aulophorus kalina n. sp.

( Fig. 2 E-J)

Material : Îles des Saintes 760: 2 specimens (Holotype ZU-1320). Habitat :

Limnetic; salinity 0.13%.

Description: The two worms measure 1.6 and 3.0 mm in length, 90 and 132 µm in diameter and they have 24 and 53 segments respectively. Division-zone and eyes are missing. The prostomium is short, rounded in the smaller specimen and conic in the longer one. The branchial fossa opens dorsally presenting one pair of long thin palps and two pairs ofwide gills ( Fig. 2E ). The pharynx extends to IV. Septal glands are in V and VI. Chloragocytes are presents from VI backwards. There is no differenced stomach. The dorsal vessel is dislodged to the left and commissural vessels are in VII and VIII. The dorsal setae begin at V, one hair and one needle per bundle. The hairs are smooth, straight and 113-148 µm long. The needles are 52-58 µm long; their proximal 2/3 are straight and the distal 1/3 slightly curved; the apex has two small teeth of similar length or the proximal is somewhat longer. A feeble intermediary denticle ( Fig. 2F ) is well seen in waterish or glycerinic preparations. The ventral setae are 4 per bundle to the mid-body region, 3 towards the back and 2 in the last segments. The length of the setae is 68-72 µm in II-V and 58-70 µm from VI onwards. The nodulus is medial. The distal tooth is nearly 1/3 longer than the proximal one in II ( Fig. 2G ); at the back the distal tooth shortens and the proximal lengthens gradually ( Fig. 2 H-J). The relations between the length of the distal: proximal teeth are in II = 10: 7, in VI = 10: 10 and in XII = 9: 11.

Remarks: Aulophorus kalina has affinities with A. indicus Naidu (1962) through the shape of the needles. The characteristics of A. indicus to distinguish from the new species are: 3 pairs of gills; ventral setae of II-V with distal tooth more than 2 times longer than the proximal one. The name of the new species is that of an old indian group from Venezuela and Caribbean Islands.

Figures

Fig. 2. Dero tuna: A, branchial fossa. B, needle. C-D, ventral setae of IV and IX. Aulophorus kalina: E, branchial fossa. F, needle. G-J, ventral setae of II, V, VI and XII. Aulophorus tridentatus: K-L, needles. M-R, ventral setae of II-VII. S, branchial fossa. Scales to Fig. A, E, S = 50 µm to other figures 10 µm.