Haploijejdoijskya scilliensis, Faubel & Warwick, 2005

Faubel, A. & Warwick, R. M., 2005, The marine flora and fauna of the Isles of Scilly: Free-living Plathelminthes (‘ Turbellaria’), Journal of Natural History 39 (1), pp. 1-45 : 37-40

HaploIJejdoIJskya scilliensis sp. nov.

( Figure 9A, B )

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: Site 7: two specimens in squash preparation, stored on CD-ROM: 2003.5.22.4; whole mount slightly squashed WM: 2003.5.22.4.

Description

Length of body of squashed specimen 1.2 mm; frontal end broadly rounded, tapering slightly anteriad; hind end variably tapering, distally tail-like. In transmitted light body yellowish transparent; intestinal tract contrasts dark grey with transparent areas marking

the locations of the genital organs. Eyes absent. Pharynx 256 M m long, 102 M m distant from anterior end.

Reproductiυe system. Testis left in posterior part of body. The longish muscular copulatory bulb consists of a voluminous seminal vesicle and a small prostatic section, the glands of which are located extravesicular. The seminal-prostatic bulb is distally encased in the proximal penis stylet, being 38.6 M m long. The germovitellar is located on the right side in the posterior body. The vitellogenous part extends frontad to the level of the mid-body. The distal ovarial part is connected with the common genital atrium. Common genital pore present.

Discussion

The monotypic subfamily Haplovejdovskyinae Luther, 1962 was established for Haploυejdoυskya subterranea Ax, 1954 , based on the characters of a single germovitellar and testis located in the posterior part of the body. In this respect Haploυejdoυskya scilliensis agrees well with the diagnosis given. Essential differences from H. subterranea exist in the shape of the stylet. The stylet of H. subterranea is longer, 110 M m, twisted and distally hooked as against the stylet of H. scilliensis being 38.6 M m long, straight and distally pointed. Furthermore, H. scilliensis and H. subteranea live in different habitats. H. subterranea is a typical brackish water species ( Ax 1956c) and H. scilliensis was found in a euhaline habitat.

Figures

Figure 9. Haploυejdoυskya scilliensis sp. nov. (A) Dorsal view in squash preparation; (B) sclerotized male stylet. Balgetia cf. semicirculifera (C) sclerotized male stylet. Scale bars: 200 Mm (A); 10 Mm (B); 20 Mm (C).