Pseudoceros rawlinsonae Bolaños, Quiroga & Litvaitis 2007

Bahia, Juliana, Padula, Vinicius, Lavrado, Helena Passeri & Quiroga, Sigmer, 2014, Taxonomy of Cotylea (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from Cabo Frio, southeastern Brazil, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 3873 (5), pp. 495-525 : 501-503

Pseudoceros rawlinsonae Bolaños, Quiroga & Litvaitis 2007

( Fig. 6 )

Material examined. Two specimens (MNRJ-PLAT 0 1, 9 x 6 mm e 8 x 6 mm) preserved in 70% ethanol, one as sagittal sections of reproductive structures (14 slides), collected 20.04.2008. One specimen (MNRJ-PLAT 0 4, 15 x 11 mm) as sagittal sections of reproductive structures (19 slides), collected 0 7.02.2009. One specimen (MNRJ- PLAT 37, 19 x 11 mm) as sagittal sections of the reproductive structures (18 slides), collected 30.08.2008. All collected at Praia das Conchas, Cabo Frio, Brazil (22o52’15.40’’S; 41o58’51.86’’W). One specimen (MNRJ-PLAT 38, 11 x 8 mm) as sagittal sections of reproductive structures (14 slides). Collected 0 1.09.2008 at Canal de Itajuru, Cabo Frio, Brazil (22º53’11’’S, 42º00’08’’W). One specimen (MNRJ-PLAT 39, 13 x 8 mm) as sagittal sections of reproductive structures (11 slides). Collected 30.12.2008 at Ilha do Papagaio, Cabo Frio, Brazil (22°53'53.21"S, 41°58'59.40"W).

Distribution. The species P. rawlinsonae was described from the American Virgin Islands and Bonaire ( Bolaños et al. 2007). Posteriorly, after the revision of Pseudoceros bicolor complex, P. rawlinsonae was also reported from Florida, Honduras, Jamaica, Bahamas, Curaçao and Brazil ( Bahia & Padula 2009; Litvaitis et al. 2010).

Diagnosis. Dorsal coloration from yellow to dark brown or black, scattered white spots sometimes present; marginal band white intersected by greyish black transversal stripes; marginal line gold yellow to orange. Prostatic and seminal vesicle small in relation to the penis.

Taxonomic remarks. This species was included in the P. bi col or complex due to its coloration pattern. Some specimens reported from Brazil as P. b i c o l o r ( Bahia & Padula 2009) were in fact P. rawlinsonae . This was found out after the review of the P. bi col or complex ( Litvaitis et al. 2010), which has clearly delimited the differences between these two species and made an emendation to the species description. It was observed that differences in marginal lines (P. b i c o l o r, bright yellow to greenish or absent, and P. rawlinsonae , golden yellow to orange) were reflected in the species separation genetically.

It is suggested that specimens collected in Brazil should be included in a futher comparative molecular analysis between P. b i c o l o r and P. rawlinsonae . Our specimens are in accordance with characteristics presented in the original description and in the revision by Litivaitis et al. (2010). We found both smaller and bigger specimens (variation between 8 x 6 mm and 19 x 11 mm) than originally described (17 x 7 mm) by Bolaños et al. (2007). In some specimens ( Fig. 6 I), uteri were found to be full of eggs that reached 90 µm diameter. The color variation found in southeastern Brazil is illustrated in Fig. 7 .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pseudoceros rawlinsonae (MNRJ-PLAT 01). A. in vivo; B. ventral view; C. detail of ventral view; D. detail from the anterior region, showing cerebral eyespots; E. detail from the anterior region showing tentacular eyespots; F. detail from the anterior ventral region; G. sagital section of the specimen body; H. sagittal section of male reproductive structures; I. sagittal section of female reproductive structures. ce: cerebral eyespots; cg: cement glands; cp: cement pouch; ep: epidermis; fg: female gonopore; it: main intestine; ma: male atrium; mg: male gonopore; ml: muscular layer; ph: pharynx; pt: pseudotentacles; pv: prostatic vesicle; ra: rhabdites; st: stylet; su: sucker; sv: seminal vesicle; te: tentacular eyespots; ut: uteri; va: vagina; vd: vas deferens.

FIGURE 7. Color variation in Pseudoceros rawlinsonae. A. MNRJ-PLAT 39; B. MNRJ-PLAT 37; C. MNRJ-PLAT 38; D. MNRJ-PLAT 01; E. MNRJ-PLAT 0 4.