Gaziella cochleata, Diez & Monnens & Wuyts & Brendonck & Reygel & Schmidt-Rhaesa & Artois, 2023

Diez, Yander L., Monnens, Marlies, Wuyts, Arlien, Brendonck, Luc, Reygel, Patrick, Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas & Artois, Tom, 2023, Taxonomy and phylogeny of Dalytyphloplanida Willems et al., 2006 (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela), with the description of a new family, a new genus, and sixteen new species from Cuba and Panama, Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 23 (4), pp. 631-681 : 646-648

Gaziella De Clerck & Schockaert, 1995 Gaziella cochleata sp. n. Diez & Artois

( Figs. 6a, b , 7a and 8a–c )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1DF3F85-E74E-4848-B2C7-A46E97FA8AC5

Gaziella sp. 1 in Diez et al. (2023)

Material and distribution. Cuba: Observations on live animals, whole mounted afterwards. Two specimens used for molecular analyses and four whole mounts from Bueycabón (type locality) (6 and 21 February 2018), one of which is designated holotype ( ZMH, No. V13679 ) and the others paratypes (HU, No. 855–857); fine-grained sand with organic matter, 0.5 m deep, salinity 35‰. Four whole mounts from Playa Morales (January 4, 2017) (HU XIX.3.14– XIX.3.17); sandymuddy bottom in a bed of T. testudinum , 0.5 m deep, salinity 35‰. One whole mount from Siboney (March 6, 2018) (HU XIX.3.28), sublittoral, 0.5 m deep, fine-grained sand rich in organic matter, salinity 33‰. Four whole mounts from Playa Caletón (26 January 2020) (HU XIX.3.18– XIX.3.21); sublittoral, 0.5 m deep, fine-grained sand around bed of S. filiforme , salinity 37‰. Three whole mounts from Juraguá (9 February 2020) (HU XIX.3.22– XIX.3.24); two specimens collected subtidally, 1 m deep, fine-grained sand, and one specimen collected intertidally, upper 20 cm of medium-grained sand, salinity 33‰. Three whole mounts from Hotel Guamá (October 21, 2020) (HU XIX.3.25– XIX.3.27); sublittoral, fine-grained and silty sand, 0.8 m deep, salinity 32 ‰.

Etymology. The epithet refers to the spiralised distal cap of the copulatory bulb. Lat. Cochleatus: spiral.

Diagnosis. Species of Gaziella with a spiny cirrus ~ 44 µm long; spines ~ 5 µm long. The clerotized cap is a spiralised plate, ~ 41 µm long.

Description. The live animals are 2–2.5 mm long, slen- der, light-brown coloured due to parenchymal glands, and without eyes ( Figs. 6a and 7a ). Two types of strong frontal adenal rhabdites ( Fig. 6a : ar) are present, opening in the anterior invagination (proboscis-like structure) ( Fig. 7a : in). The pharynx ( Figs. 6a and 7a : ph) is located at 75%.

The paired testes ( Figs. 6a and 7a : t) are located anterolaterally from the pharynx. The thick seminal ducts run backwards and open independently into the single seminal vesicle ( Figs. 6a and 8a–c : sv). The atrial organs are located caudal to the pharynx, in the distal body third. The copulatory bulb ( Figs. 6a and 7a : cb) is inverted-pear shaped; it includes the seminal vesicle, the prostate vesicle ( Figs. 6a and 7a–c : pv), a spiny cirrus ( Figs. 6a, b and 8a–c : cir), and a distal clerotized cap ( Figs. 6a, b and 8a–c : sc). The cirrus is 26–54 µm long (x = 44 µm; n = 14) and 9–11 µm wide (x = 10 µm; n = 14). The cirrus spines are fine, very close to each other, and 4–5 µm long (x = 5 µm; n = 28). The clerotized cap is a spiralised plate, 32–62 µm long (x = 41 µm; n = 14) and 17–27 µm wide proximally (x = 23 µm; n = 14).

The paired vitellaria ( Figs. 6a and 7a : vi) extend at both body sides, caudal to the brain ( Fig. 6a : br) to the level of the pharynx. The paired kidney-shaped ovaries ( Fig. 6a : ov) lie posterior to the male copulatory bulb; the oocytes are organised in a row, diminishing in diameter from the most distal to the most proximal. Each oviduct with a seminal reservoir vesicle ( Fig. 6a : sr). The bursa ( Fig. 6a : b) is located caudal to the ovaries. The common gonopore ( Fig. 6a : cg) is located at about 80%, just caudal to the male copulatory organ.

Figures

Fig.6 Species of Gaziella. a, b Gaziella cochleata sp. n. c, d G. glandulosa sp. n. e–g G. microcirra sp. n. a, c, e Body organisation (live animals). b, d, e, f Cirrus and sclerotised cap from the holotypes. Structures oriented with the anterior end toward the top of the plate

Fig. 7 Live specimens of spe- cies of Gaziella. a Gaziella cochleata sp. n. b–e G. microcirra sp. n. a, b Body organisation. c, d Details of the anterior region of the body and the rhabdite tracts. e Male copulatory bulb. a, b Structures oriented with the anterior end toward the top of the plate. c–e Structures oriented with the anterior end toward the right side of the plate

Fig. 8 Micrographs of the atrial organs of species of Gaziella, from the holotypes. a–c, Gaziella cochleata sp. n. d G. glandulosa sp. n. e, f G. microcirra sp. n. a–c, e–f Struc- tures oriented with the anterior end toward the top of the plate. d Structures oriented with the anterior end toward the left side of the plate