Gaziella microcirra, 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 : 649-651

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s13127-023-00623-w

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4D2516BA-19CF-46C6-8D96-F17DD505B4FF

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/49C98395-3F44-4FB2-99C9-F69A06E52947

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:49C98395-3F44-4FB2-99C9-F69A06E52947

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Gaziella microcirra
status

sp. nov.

Gaziella microcirra sp. n. Diez & Artois

( Figs. 6e–g View Fig , 7b–e View Fig and 8e–f View Fig ).

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:49C98395-3F44-4FB2-99C9-F69A06E52947

Gaziella sp. 2 in Diez et al. (2023)

Material and distribution. Cuba: Observations on live animals, whole mounted afterwards. One whole mount from Bueycabón (type locality) (February 6, 2018) designated holotype ( ZMH, No. V 13681); sand with organic matter, 0.5 m deep, salinity 33‰. One whole mount from Guardalavaca (28 February 2017) (HU XIX.3.29); intertidal, upper layer of fine-grained sand, salinity 35‰. Two whole mounts from Playa Caletón (26 January 2020) (HU XIX.3.30– XIX.3.31); sublittoral, 0.5 m deep, fine-grained sand around bed of S. filiforme , salinity 37‰. One whole mount from Playa (27 January 2020) (HU XIX.3.32); sublittoral, 0.7 m deep, fine-grained sand, salinity 35‰. Two whole mounts from Siboney (6 March 2018) (HU XIX.3.33– XIX.3.34); sublittoral, 0.5 m deep, sand rich in organic matter, salinity 33‰. One whole mount from Juraguá (9 February 2020) (HU XIX.3.35), sublittoral, fine-grained sand, 1.5 m deep; salinity 33‰. One whole mount from Hotel Guamá (21 October 2020), sublittoral, 0.8 m deep, fine-grained and silty sand, in a bed of the turtlegrass Thalassia testudinum (HU XIX.3.36).

Etymology. The epithet reflects the fact that this species has the smallest cirrus among all known species of Gaziella .

Diagnosis. Species of Gaziella with a cirrus ~ 41 µm long, spines 3 µm long; surrounded distally by a ~ 28-µm-long sclerotised cap.

Description. The live animals are about 1.5 mm long, slen- der, translucent, and without eyes ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7b View Fig ). Two types of strong frontal adenal rhabdites are present ( Figs. 6c View Fig : ar and 7d: ar1 and ar2). The pharynx ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7b View Fig : ph) is located at 50–70%.

The paired testes ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7b View Fig : t) are located immediately anterolaterally to the pharynx. The thick seminal ducts run backwards and open independently into de copulatory bulb. The atrial organs are located caudal to the pharynx, in the second to the third body part. The copulatory bulb ( Fig. 6e View Fig ) is inverted-pear shaped. It encompasses the seminal vesicle ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7e View Fig : sv), the prostate vesicle ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7e View Fig : pv), the spiny cirrus ( Figs. 6e–g View Fig , 7e View Fig and 8e–f View Fig : cir), and the distal sclerotised cap ( Figs. 6e–g View Fig , 7e View Fig and 8e–f View Fig : sc). The sclerotised cap surrounds the spiny cirrus in its distal 1/2–1/3 length. The cirrus is 33–51 µm long (x = 41 µm; n = 7) and 12–21 µm wide proximally (x = 17; n = 7), and the sclerotised cap is 15–40 µm long (x = 28 µm; n = 5) and 15–30 µm wide proximally (x = 24 µm; n = 7). The specimen from Guardalavaca is much squeezed (cirrus 16 µm long and 12 µm wide; stylet broken and not measurable). The cirrus spines are very fine and positioned very close to each other, about 3 µm long.

The paired vitellaria ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7b View Fig : vi) extend at the body sides, caudal to the brain ( Figs. 6e View Fig and 7c View Fig : br) to the distal body end. The paired oval-shaped ovaries ( Fig. 6e View Fig : ov) lie posteriorly to the male copulatory bulb, with oocytes organised in a row. Each oviduct has a seminal reservoir vesicle ( Fig. 6e View Fig : sr). The globular bursa ( Fig. 6e View Fig : b) is caudally located to the ovaries. The common gonopore ( Fig. 6e View Fig : cg) opens at 60–80%.

Byrsophlebidae Graff, 1905

Byrsophlebs Jensen, 1878

Byrsophlebs thalassicola sp. n. Diez, Reygel & Artois

( Fig. 9 View Fig )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BB6E81B4-7795-4BCD-B44E-D61E76E5B60F

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

Material and distribution. Cuba: Observations on live animals. Five whole mounts, one of which is designated holotype ( ZMH, No. V 13682) and the others paratypes (HU, No. 858–861), and one specimen used for molecular analyses collected in Bahía Larga (Type locality) (5 April and 25 May 2017); on leaves of Thalassia testudinum and the alga Acanthophora spicifera , 0.1–0.5 m deep, salinity 32–35‰. One whole mount from Chivirico (March 16, 2017) (HU XIX.3.37); sand with organic matter, 0.1 m deep, salinity 35‰. Four whole mounts (HU XIX.3.38– XIX.3.41) and eight serially sectioned specimens (HU XIX.3.42– XIX.3.49) collected in Bueycabón (6 and 21 February 2018); on leaves of T. testudinum and Syringodium filiforme , 0.5 m deep, and intertidal on the alga Valoniopsis pachynema , salinity 33‰.

Etymology. The epithet refers to the habitat of the species, namely leaves of Thalassia testudinum .

Diagnosis. Species of Byrsophlebs with a prostate stylet ~ 46 µm long. Proximal third of the stylet funnel shaped, middle third tubular, tapering to a distal sharp tip. Distal tip bends over 90°. Most external muscle layer surrounding the prostate vesicle longitudinal. Female duct bipartite, proximally differentiated into a seminal receptacle, which is separated from the distal part of the female duct by a sphincter. Bursa opens proximally into the female duct.

Description. The live specimens are about 0.5 mm long, translucent and have a pair of eyes ( Fig. 9a, b View Fig : e). Adenal rhabdite tracts ( Fig. 9a View Fig : ar) present, with the cell bodies caudal to the eyes, their necks in between the eyes and opening terminally at the anterior end of the body. The syncytial and fully ciliated epidermis is 4–6 µm thick; cilia ( Fig. 9f View Fig : ci1) 4 μm long. It includes two types of vacuoles: translucent ones and ones filled with a dark-granular secretion. The rhabdites are 2–4 µm long.

The pharynx ( Fig. 9a, b View Fig : ph) is located at 50%. The prepharyngeal cavity ( Fig. 9f View Fig : ppc) is lined by a nucleated epithelium and a layer of longitudinal muscles. The mouth ( Fig. 9f View Fig : m) is surrounded by a sphincter ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph1). Three types of glands open in the pharyngeal lumen from distal to proximal; these are as follows: coarse-grained eosinophilic ( Fig. 9f View Fig : phg1), fine-grained eosinophilic ( Fig. 9f View Fig : phg2), and fine-grained basophilic ( Fig. 9f View Fig : phg3). The weak musculature of the pharynx is difficult to discern. There is a layer of longitudinal muscles just outside of the septum ( Fig. 9f View Fig : lm). Radial muscles ( Fig. 9f View Fig : rm) run between the internal and the external walls, and there are internal longitudinal muscles ( Fig. 9f View Fig : ilm). The distal lips of the pharynx are ciliated; cilia ~ 2 µm long ( Fig. 9f View Fig : ci2).

A pair of testes ( Fig. 9a, b View Fig : t) is located anterior to the pharynx, whereas the rest of the genital system is situated caudal to the pharynx. Each vas deferens forms a seminal vesicle. The seminal vesicles ( Fig. 9a View Fig : sv) fuse before entering the prostate vesicle. The prostate vesicle ( Fig. 9a, f View Fig : pv) is spindle-shaped and is surrounded by an internal oblique and an external longitudinal muscle layer. The layer of longitudinal muscles is continuous with the layer that surrounds the male atrium ( Fig. 9f View Fig : mat). The necks of the extracapsular prostatic glands ( Fig. 9f View Fig : pg) enter the prostate vesicle proximally at the same point as the ejaculatory duct does, and contain a coarse-grained eosinophilic secretion. The prostatic ducts enter the stylet proximally and can be seen over the entire length of the stylet. The stylet ( Figs. 3c–e View Fig and 9a, b, f View Fig : st) is located just caudal to the pharynx and has an anterior orientation. However, on much squeezed specimens ( Fig. 9b View Fig ), the stylet can turn towards either side or even have a posterior orientation. It is 43–52 µm long (x = 46 µm; n = 8) and 13–19 µm wide proximally (x = 15 µm; n = 6). The proximal third of the stylet is funnel-shaped; the mid-third is tubular and tapers to a distal sharp tip, which is bent over 90°. The male atrium is globular, lined by a nucleated epithelium and a layer of longitudinal muscles. The male gonopore ( Fig. 9f View Fig : mg) is surrounded by a sphincter ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph2) and opens at 60%.

The paired vitellaria ( Fig. 9 a and f View Fig : vi) lie laterally, between the brain and the caudal body end. The vitelloducts open into the most proximal part of the oviduct, which shows a sphincter just distally to the entrance of the vitelloducts ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph4). The long-drawn ovary ( Fig. 9a, f View Fig : ov) is located dorsally, with the oocytes organised in a row, diminishing in diameter from the most distal one to the most proximal one. The female duct ( Fig. 9a, b, f View Fig : fd) is bipartite, proximally forming a seminal receptacle ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sr; terminology of Karling, 1985). The female duct is lined by a high nucleated epithelium and an external layer of longitudinal muscles which is continuous with the longitudinal layer surrounding the bursa. The seminal receptacle is distally delimited by a weak sphincter ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph6). A bundle of female glands ( Fig. 9f View Fig : fg) enters caudally the most distal part of the female duct, and contains a fine-grained, eosinophilic secretion. The bursa ( Fig. 9f View Fig : b) enters the female duct at the level of the seminal receptacle, contains a very fine secretion, and is lined by a syncytial epithelium; a sphincter ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph5) surrounds this connection. The female gonopore ( Fig. 9f View Fig : fg) opens at 90% and is surrounded by a sphincter ( Fig. 9f View Fig : sph3).

ZMH

Zoologisches Museum Hamburg

V

Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium

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