Barriejamiesonia aberratus Ljungström 1971

Jamieson, Barrie G. M. & Fragoso, Carlos, 2024, A monograph of the Oligochaete family Alluroididae, Zootaxa 5529 (3), pp. 401-435 : 420-421

Barriejamiesonia aberratus Ljungström 1971

Barryjamiesonia aberratus Ljungström 1971: 322–323 .

Maximum length 58 mm. Greatest width in front of clitellum 1 mm. Body round in cross–section, clitellar region dorsoventrally flattened. Colour, unpigmented white. Cuticle non–iridescent. Lateral grooves absent. Number of segments 127, 129 (plus about five undifferentiated and asetal segments) and 142, all segments smooth except VIII which is biannulate. Prostomium prolobous. Setae present from II and of equal size throughout; cd present on clitellum; no modified setae; ab present in XIII. Setal ratio on X: aa:ab:bc:cd =8.3:1:8.3:1, DD=0.44 C. Nephropores minute in straight lines in 1/2 BC, situated in intersegmental furrows. Dorsal pores absent. Clitellum pink reddish or whitish, smooth, saddle–shaped throughout down to B, intersegmental furrows obliterated down to B, on XII–XV or XII–XVI, ending at 11/12 and 15/16 or 16/17, anterior and posterior borders indistinct. Spermathecal pores one pair on extreme posterior margin of VIII in 1/2 BC. The pores big, slit–like and surrounded by glandular lips that form a transverse oval. Female pores minute, each visible as a black spot in 13/ 14 in A. Seminal grooves absent. Genital markings circular, 0.36 mm in diameter, low but protuberant from the body wall as glandular discs; post–setal and situated in file with protuberances around the atria in AB on XIII left, XIV and XV or XIV and XV.

First septum in 5/6 behind which all are present, 5/6–10/11 somewhat and equally thickened and conical with posteriad apex or 5/6–8/9 equally thickened and then gradually becoming thinner from 9/10 to 11/12 but 5/6–11/12 conical. Gizzard absent. Septal glands in V–VII depending from anterior face of 5/6–8/9, covering dorsal face of gut. Extra–mural calciferous glands absent.

Hearts (commissures) in X (not seen in XI) or in XI (not seen in X). Nephridia holonephric, recognizable from VII. From VII to about XX they are big, leaf–shaped and surrounded by a layer of (? connective) tissue. Testes and their funnels, one pair, free in X. Male ducts running in A under peritoneum back to XIII where they fuse with the ectal end of the atrial chamber. Ovaries probably in XIII, ovisac, oviduct and ovifunnels not seen. Seminal vesicles two pairs. In one specimen the anterior are small, depending from 9/10 into IX and the posterior pair big depending from 11/12 into XII. In the other specimen both pairs are vestigial, the anterior pair depending from 9/10 into IX and the posterior pair from 10/11 into X. Prostates one pair originating in XIII. The prostatic duct swells up into a muscular (sheen present) bursa at parietes. The bursa somewhat spindle–shaped; from the bursa the duct gradually attenuates towards the gland from which it is not sharply demarcated. Prostate glands reaching to 19/20 on right and to 20/21 on left side in one worm. The greatest width of the bursa 0.25 mm, of the duct 0.1 mm and of the gland (in XIII) 0.27 mm. Genital marking glands, two pairs, circular, rather flat, acinous; free in the coelom in XIV and XV (specimen with GM on XIV, XV) .

Parthenogenesis is suspected.

Distribution. Natal. N41. Scottsburgh, Port Shepstone road. Aquatic, just below and near water’s edge.

Remarks. During the preliminary identification the specimens were thought by Ljungström to represent an aberrant ocnerodriline. No data on spermathecae were provided in the original description, and the only information refers to its empty nature. Distinction from Standeria is uncertain.