Maritigrella ocellata, Newman, 2000

Newman, Leslie J., 2000, A new genus of euryleptid ¯ atworm (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from the Indo-Paci ® c, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 191-205 : 198-199

Maritigrella ocellata sp. nov.

(®gures 12±14, 24)

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: G211041, WM, slightly damaged, 7 February 1992, under rubble, reef crest, Heron Is., southern GBR. PARATYPES: G211042, WM, same data; G211044 , LS; G211043 , LS, 19 March 1996 .

D escription

Small worms. Background cream-white with black spots surrounded by grey, arranged in transverse rows laterally; black spots surrounded by orange medially; median area with scattered black spots (®gures 12, 24). Margin with numerous small, variably sized, black and red spots. Cream area between marginal tentacles. Marginal tentacles pointed. Sucker pronounced, midbody (®gure 13). Size range: 8Ö 3 mm (immature) to 15Ö 8 mm (mature).

Seminal vesicle small, oblong (315 m m long), ejaculatory duct long and straight; prostate smaller than seminal vesicle, oval (260 m m long), prostatic duct long; stylet long, narrow (110 m m longÖ 34 m m wide), length 5 width ratio = 1 5 3.2 (®gure 14). Female antrum shallow.

D iagnosis

Cream with numerous black spots in transverse rows, surrounded by orange and grey.

Etymology Named ocellata for its pattern of spots resembling little eyes.

Remarks

This species is similar to M. fuscopunctata however, in M. ocellata the spots are more numerous and they are surrounded by orange (not purple) and the median area is devoid of orange spots. Several animals were found together on a grey, encrusting colonial ascidian.

D istribution Rare from the reef crest, Heron Is., southern GBR.