Pseudoceros mororum, Noreña, 2017

Noreña, Carolina, 2017, The Polycladida (Platyhelminthes) of the Canary Islands. New genus, species and records, Zootaxa 4312 (1) : -

Pseudoceros mororum n. sp.

( Figs. 6 and 11 L)

Holotype. One specimen from El Cabrón (22/03/2008), Gran Canaria, Canary Archipelago ( Fig. 1 , C1; Table 1 and II) by Leopoldo Moro. 189 slides of sagittal serial sectioned specimen and stained with AZAN; Catalogue number: MNCN 4.01/ 1688-1877.

Type locality. El Cabrón, Gran Canaria, Canary Archipelago.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the family of the second author, Leopoldo Moro.

Occurrence in the Canary Island. The organism was collected at depths of 7–30 metres, during the spring time. P. mororum has also been observed in Risco Verde, Gran Canaria and Cueva de la Catedral, Tenerife, Canary Archipelago ( Figs. 1 , C2 and T9; Table 1 and 2).

Description. Body shape oval. Length 3.2 cm. Smooth dorsal surface. Background colour black or dark brown, with three marginal bands formed of two orange lines separated by a black line; transversal tear-shaped white streaks around the entire body margin with exception of the pseudotentacles; white maculae along the central longitudinal line ( Fig. 6 A). Ventral sucker in the middle of the body. Pseudotentacles as simple folds ( Fig. 6 B). Two clusters of scattered ventral pseudotentacular eyes. Cerebral eyes-cluster horseshoe shaped ( Fig. 6 B). Ruffled pharynx butterfly shaped with seven lobes, located at the anterior third of the body. Oral pore posterior to the cerebral ganglion.

Reproductive system: Male and female genital pores located in the anterior half of the body. Male genital pore between the posterior lobes of the ruffled pharynx. Male copulatory organ dorso-ventral orientated, consisting of a penis papilla armed with a stylet, a prostatic vesicle and a seminal vesicle ( Fig. 6 C). Vas deferens opens separately into the seminal vesicle. Seminal vesicle elongated and oblong with thick muscular walls in the distal region, caudo-frontally oriented opening to the sperm duct. Sperm duct muscular and long, extends frontally to join the prostatic duct, both form the ejaculatory duct. Prostatic vesicle rounded, muscular and visibly smaller than the seminal vesicle. Short ejaculatory duct opens into small penis papillae with a conical, almost tubular stylet. The male atrium is wide and folded as is characteristic for the genus.

Female apparatus with a short muscular vagina, backwards orientated. Cement and shell gland pouch is located in the folded female atrium.

Discussion. Pseudoceros mororum belongs to the genus Pseudoceros due to the presence of simple pseudotentacles, a smooth dorsal surface, a ruffled butterfly-shaped pharynx and one male gonopore.

Pseudoceros constitutes one of the largest genera of polyclads (approximately 88 species). The distinct colouration pattern of the newly described species Pseudoceros mororum n. sp. can only be compared with that of P. bicolor Verril, 1902 and P. zebra (Leuckart, 1828) . The color pattern is similar in P. bicolor and P. mororum , both have a thin marginal line along the body margin, a uniform dorsal colour and light transverse spots originating at the body edges. P. mororum can easily be distinguished from P. bicolor by the presence of its orange-yellow and black triple marginal band and white maculae in the longitudinal body axis. Furthermore, P. mororum and P. bicolor also differ in their reproductive anatomies: P. mororum has greater separation between female and male genital pores and a larger male atrium.

Pseudoceros zebra also has an orange marginal band, black background colour and white maculae, found both marginally and longitudinally. However, P. zebra has a single band, whereas P. mororum has three, and the maculae are more abundant in P. mororum , sometimes forming a wide stripe along the dorsal surface.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sampling station of the Canary Islands (for explanation of legends see Table 1).

FIGURE 6. Pseudoceros mororum n. sp. (MNCN 4.01 / 1688 - 1877). A. In vivo, dorsal view; B. Anterior region, highlighting the pseudotentacles and the cerebral eyes; C. Sagittal section of the male copulatory organ; D. Sagittal section of the reproductive system; E. Sagittal reconstruction of the reproductive system. af, female atrium; am, male atrium; cg, cement glands; e, eyes; i, intestine; ps, pseudotentacle; pv, prostatic vesicle; s, stylet; sv, seminal vesicle; v, vagina.

FIGURE 11. Species located in the Canary archipelago, in vivo. A. Eurylepta guayota n. sp. B. Prostheceraeus giesbrechtii Lang, 1884. C. Prostheceraeus roseus Lang, 1884. D. Enchiridium magec n. sp. E. Anonymus virilis Lang, 1884. F. Anonymus ruber n. sp. G. Pericelis cata Marcus and Marcus, 1986. H. Phrikoceros mopsus (Marcus, 1952) Quiroga, 2008. I. Pseudobiceros wirtzi Bahia and Schrödl, 2016. J. Pseudoceros maximus Lang, 1884. K. Pseudoceros velutinus (Blanchard, 1847) Lang, 1884. L. Pseudoceros mororum n. sp. M. Pseudoceros sp. N. Thysanozoon brocchii (Risso, 1818) Grube 1840. O. Acanthozoon aranfaibo n. sp. P. Yungia aurantiaca (Delle Chiaje, 1822) Lang, 1884. Q. Cestoplana rubrocincta (Grube, 1840) Lang, 1884. R. Multisepta fengari n. sp. S. Planocera pellucida (Mertens, 1833) Örsted, 1844.