Anisochaeta kiwi, Blakemore, 2012

Blakemore, Robert J., 2012, On Schmarda’s lost earthworm and some newly found New Zealand species (Oligochaeta: Megadrilacea: Lumbricidae, Acanthodrilidae, Octochaetidae, & Megascolecidae s. stricto), Journal of Species Research 1 (2), pp. 105-132 : 111-114

Anisochaeta kiwi sp. nov.

[ Fig. 6 ]

Material Examined. Holotype, H ( AMNZ 5270 ), a complete specimen, sketched and dissected, plus paratype P1 ( AMNZ 5271 ) also sketched and dissected, paratypes P2-P16 ( AMNZ 5272 ) 14 mostly mature specimens, including two juveniles and an anterior “head” regenerate specimen that lacks markings (regressed?). From SW face of Mt Wellington, Auckland (ca. 36̊892990S 174̊ 845545E, 120 m). Collector RJB, 14 th Oct., 2011. Etymology. Nominal taxon after “Kiwi”, the colloquial name for New Zealanders. Diagnosis. Anisochaeta having spermathecal pores in bc lines in 7/8/9; markings absent from anterior but variously near male pores, strong gizzard in 5, last hearts in 12 and oesophagus dilated in 13; ovisacs typically present in 14. COI barcode in Appendix I. Behaviour. Vigorous and rapid escape to disturbance (more so than lumbricids). Length . Holotype (H) ( AMNZ 5270 ) ca. 90 mm; mature paratypes 85-95 mm Widths. ca. 1-1.5 mm. Body /segments. (H) 95; body tapers and flattens to tail end .

Colour. A brick brown-red or puce dorsum with iridescent sheen, with a darker mid-dorsal line; pale ventrally; clitella buff.

Prostomium. Open epilobous; ventrally cleft peristomia.

First dorsal pore. From 5/6.

Setae. Perichaetine with 28-36 per segment increasing further posteriorly.

Nephropores. Not found (meroic).

Clitellum. Annular ½13-16, sometimes slightly encroaching into 17 (e.g. P1).

Male pores. Superficial and small eye-shaped on low papillae insunk on 18 in setal b lines.

Female pores. Single mid-ventral on 14.

Spermathecal pores. 7/8 and 8/ 9 in line with setal interval bc.

Genital markings. Holotype (H) has small disc-like markings paired posteriorly in 17 and anteriorly in 19 lining up with the male pores; its P 1 paratype has them narrow- er in 17 and in 17/18, rather than 19, where they are wider; other mature paratypes ( AMNZ 5272 ) have various combinations including marking on 16 in some or near 17/18 and 18/19, the last location more usual; one specimen with no marking was also an anterior regenerate.

Septa. None especially thickened.

Blood vessels. Dorsal vessel single, connects to supraoesophageal as seen in 9-½14.

Hearts. Commissurals in 7-9, hearts in 10-12 from supraoesophageal vessel.

Gizzard. Compact and muscular in 5 preceded in 4 by pharyngeal mass.

Calciferous glands. Oesophagus only slightly dilated in 13; valvular in 15.

Intestine. Origin in 16; caeca absent; typhlosole not found.

Nephridia. Meroic, with large tufted peptonephridia anteriorly in 4.

Testis/seminal vesicles. Holandric, paired testis in 10 and 11 free but invested in mucus; seminal vesicles pair- ed, racemose in 9 and larger in 12.

Ovaries. In 13; ovisacs in 14.

Prostates and penial setae. Tubuloracemose gland with short duct; penial setae not found but their presence anticipated, possibly as small setae implicated with the male pores, since setae a are most often occluded or displaced on 18.

Spermathecae. In 8 and 9 with globular ampullae each with a shorter, curved diverticulum not especially dilat- ed terminally, opening by its own duct into short main duct.

Gut contents. Organic mixed soil.

mtDNA results. BLASTn analysis of COI results (Appendix I) shows that A. kiwi holotype (H) and paratype (P1) are 100% identical despite their apparent differences in genital markings (cf. A. macleayi outlined below). mega BLAST has no close matches-the nearest at 85% max identity is an unidentified GenBank “ Megascolecidae sp.” from the Philippines.

Remarks. A species introduced from Australia, where its origin and nearest relations may be sought (possibly with different provenances of its sub-species, A. kiwi mihi below). It differs from Anisochaeta minor (Spencer, 1900) from Queensland which is usually just 50-60 mm long, with paired female pores (always?), and often distinctive genital markings paired in 10, 11 (and 16 or 17) and 20 that, although varying between its specimens, are the usual locations. Distinction of the current species from the rather inadequate description of Anisochaeta laingii ( Benham, 1903) ( Fig. 5 ) is mainly due to its lack of markings on 10-12 and the characteristically con-joined pair in 17; instead, A. kiwi most consistently displays a pair of small papillae in or near 18/19 below its male pores and other combinations as noted.

Anisochaeta kiwi is somewhat reminiscent of A. sebastiani ( Blakemore, 1997) that is widely distributed in Eastern Australia and Tasmania, but which has a vestigial gizzard and typically lacks genital markings entirely. Remarkably, the current species-and especially specimen P1 from Mt Wellington ( Fig. 6 )-resemble almost exactly one described 20 yrs earlier under the provisional name “ Spenceriella decapita ” ( Fig. 7 ) from the 80 or so species in a PhD Thesis (Blakemore, 1994). This specimen ( ANIC RB.95.5.19-see www.annelida.net/earthworm/ Australian%20Earthworms/Register.xls) was collected by C.H. Thompson, 24 th May, 1992 from a rural-residential garden at Brookfield, Brisbane, Queensland-the possible state of origin of the current stock. The only significant difference is that I recorded its last hearts as in segment 13. For that unpublished species, Blakemore (1994: 542) noted :

“ The endemic genus Spenceriella [now= Anisochaeta ] has many unnamed and morphologically similar species, often differing intraspecifically [I meant to say ‘interspecifically’] in the distribution of genital markings. The damaged individual described here is insufficient for definite classification, but appears very similar in form to S. sebastianae and S. stephanie [eventually published as Anisochaeta sebastiani ( Blakemore, 1997) and A. stephanieae ( Blakemore, 1997) ].”

Figures

Fig. 6. Anisochaeta kiwi Blakemore sp. nov. Holotype (AMNZ 5270) from Mt Wellington. Ventral aspect with dorsal view of epilobous prostomium, spermathecae and 18 lhs prostate in situ; male field of Paratype P1 (AMNZ 5271) shown for comparison (also cf. Fig. 7). Superficially differing, mtDNA COI agrees 100% for H and P1, i.e., same species (see Appendix I).

Fig. 5. Anisochaeta laingii (Benham, 1903) from Norfolk Island (Australia) the only previous Anisochaeta questionably reported from NZ. Its markings in segments 10-12 and 17 differ, but internal organization is somewhat similar to the new Anisochaeta spp. herein (After Benham’s original with copy permission from Royal Society NZ; Oct., 2011).

Fig. 7. “Spenceriella decapita” unpublished Queensland taxon from Blakemore (1994). This damaged specimen (ANIC RB.95. 5.19) is remarkably similar to Mt Wellington paratypes, especially P1, of A. kiwi kiwi (Fig. 6).