Fridericia cusanica Schmelz, 2003

Lu, Yajing, Xie, Zhicai & Zhang, Junqian, 2018, Preliminary taxonomical investigation of soil enchytraeids (Clitellata, Enchytraeidae) from south region of Tibet, China, Zootaxa 4496 (1), pp. 395-410 : 399-400

Fridericia cusanica Schmelz, 2003

( FigURES 3B, C )

Fridericia cusanica Schmelz, 2003 . Schmelz & Collado 2010.

Examined material. XZO201603001, ONE adUlT STaiNEd WhOlE-mOUNTEd SPEcimEN aNd ThREE SPEcimENS iN 70% EThaNOl FROm ThE SamE lOcaliTY.

Description. Small SiZE. LENgTh abOUT 3.8–8.5 mm iN ViVO. BOdY WidTh 160–200 Μm aT V, 180–230 Μm aT XII (200–230 Μm aNd 250–300 Μm iN ViVO). SEgmENT NUmbER 32–34. ChaETaE 2 PER bUNdlE ThROUghOUT. EPidERmal glaNd cEllS abSENT. BOdY Wall ThiN. BRaiN SlighTlY cONcaVE aNTERiORlY, TRUNcaTE POSTERiORlY, 125–150 Μm iN lENgTh aNd 70–80 Μm iN WidTh. CliTEllUm aT XII–2 /3XIII, giRdlE-ShaPEd, cEllS iRREgUlaRlY aRRaNgEd, hYalOcYTES laRgER, 13– 17 Μm iN diamETER, gRaNUlOcYTES 7–10 Μm iN diamETER. OESOPhagEal aPPENdagES UNbRaNchEd, EXTENdiNg iNTO V– VII. ThREE PaiRS OF PhaRYNgEal glaNdS iN IV–VI, all WiTh WidE dORSal cONNEcTiON aNd VENTRal lObES ( Fig. 3B ). ThE FiRST PaiR cOmPaRaTiVElY SmallER. FiVE PaiRS OF PREcliTEllaR NEPhRidia FROm VI/VII TO X/XI, NEPhRidial aNTESEPTalE cOmPaRaTiVElY laRgE, 43–50 Μm lONg, 20 Μm WidE. POSTSEPTalE 65–80 Μm lONg, 27–40 Μm WidE. EFFERENT dUcT RiSiNg FROm middlE OF POSTSEPTalE. COElOmO-mUcOcYTES WiThOUT diSTiNcT gRaNUlES, ONlY FaiNTlY TEXTUREd, 20–25 Um iN diamETER, lENTicYTES 2–4 Μm iN diamETER. ChYlUS cEllS cONFiNEd TO IX aNd X. DORSal blOOd VESSEl RiSiNg FROm XIV– XVII. SPERm FUNNEl Small, 85–106 Μm iN lENgTh, 42–53 Μm iN WidTh. COllaR aS WidE aS OR SlighTlY NaRROWER ThaN FUNNEl bOdY. HEadS OF SPERmaTOZOa 97–106 Μm lONg. VaS dEFERENS lONg, 6–10 Μm WidE, WOUNd iN iRREgUlaR lOOPS iN XII. SEmiNal VESiclE abSENT. GlaNdUlaR bUlb iN XII, Small, abOUT 40 Μm iN diamETER. BURSal SliTS T-ShaPEd. SUbNEURal glaNdS abSENT. SPERmaThEca iN V–VI, WiTh a Small EcTal glaNd, 10 Μm iN diamETER ( Fig. 3C ). EcTal dUcT lONg aNd ThiN, 200–210 Μm lONg, 10–13 Μm WidE. AmPUlla ONiON-ShaPEd, 42–50 Μm iN diamETER, WiThOUT diVERTicUla. ENTal dUcT SlighTlY ThiNNER ThaN amPUlla, 50–58 Μm lONg, 25–30 Μm WidE. ENTal dUcTS UNiTEd PROXimallY aNd cONNEcTiNg WiTh OESOPhagUS dORSallY iN VI. USUallY 1 maTURE Egg aT a TimE.

Differential diagnosis. OUR SPEcimENS cONFORm WEll TO ThE dEScRiPTiON OF F. cusanica giVEN bY SchmElZ (2003), SUch aS ThE bOdY SiZE, 2 chaETaE PER bUNdlE ThROUghOUT, ThE STRUcTURE OF SPERmaThEca, ThE ShaPE OF PhaRYNgEal glaNdS aNd SPERm FUNNEl. ThE ONlY diFFERENcES iS ThE ORigiN OF ThE dORSal blOOd VESSEl (XIV–XVII VS XIII–XIV) aNd ThE iNSERTiON OF ThE NEPhRidial EFFERENT dUcT (FROm ThE middlE OF POSTSEPTalE VS SUbTERmiNal). ThiS SPEciES WaS FOUNd iN GERmaNY, GREEcE, ITalY. IN ChiNa, ThE WORmS WERE FOUNd iN ChaNgbai MOUNTaiN OF JiliN PROViNcE aNd TibET. ThiS iS ThE FiRST REcORdEd iN ChiNa.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Micrographs of Fridericia bulboides Nielsen & Christensen, 1959 (A, in vivo), Fridericia cusanica Schmelz, 2003 (B, C, fixed), Fridericia perrieri (Vejdovský, 1878) (D, E, fixed), and Fridericia bretscheri Southern, 1907 (F–I, in vivo). Fridericia bulboides: A. Epidermal gland cells (arrows). Fridericia cusanica: B. Pharyngeal glands. C. Spermatheca (arrow). Fridericia perrieri: D. Spermatheca with diverticula (arrows). E. Sperm funnel (arrow). Fridericia bretscheri: F. Spermathecae (arrows). G. Oesophageal appendages. H. Clitellar glands, dorsal view. I. Coelomocytes. Scale bars: H,I: 25µm; A,C,D,E,F,G: 50 µm; B: 100 µm.