Maritigrella eschara, 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 : 194-195

Maritigrella eschara sp. nov.

(®gures 3±5, 21)

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: G211050, WM, 14 September 1989, under rubble, reef crest, Heron Is., southern GBR. PARATYPES: G211052, LS, 29 September 1989; G211057, WM , 7 February 1992. Record: CT, 1994, 10± 20 m, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, G. Allen .

D escription

Background variable, cream-white to grey-green with numerous, narrow, transverse lines; some lines surrounded by grey, continuous towards the centre forming dark blotches medially (®gures 3, 21). Margin with smaller discontinuous lines. Medially with large orange spots in a line. Ventrally same pattern without orange spots. Gonopores well separated, and sucker larger and pronounced (®gure 4). Size range: 10Ö 3 mm (immature) to 45Ö 25 mm (mature).

Seminal vesicle small, oval (570 m m long); ejaculatory duct long, straight and muscular; prostate larger than seminal vesicle, oval (730 m m long), with thick muscular walls; stylet long, narrow (240 m m long Ö 60 m m wide), length 5 width ratio= 1 5 4 (®gure 5).

D iagnosis

Cream to green with numerous narrow, black, transverse lines; orange spots in a line medially.

Etymology Named from the Latin, eschara = scar, for its pattern of lines and spots.

Remarks

Several animals were found to have laid red egg masses, one layer thick, on the test of their prey, colonial ascidians.

D istribution

Rare from the reef crest Heron Is., southern GBR. Recorded from the Timor Sea, northern Australia.