Typhlopolycystis leasiae, Schockaert & Moons & Janssen & Tessens & Reygel & Revis & Jouk & Willems & Artois, 2019

Schockaert, Ernest R., Moons, Patricia, Janssen, Toon, Tessens, Bart S., Reygel, Patrick C., Revis, Nathalie, Jouk, Philippe E. H., Willems, Wim R. & Artois, Tom J., 2019, On the genus Typhlopolycystis Karling, 1956 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae), with data on the five known species and the description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 4603 (1), pp. 81-104 : 95

Typhlopolycystis leasiae n. sp. Artois and Schockaert.

( Fig. 11 )

Diagnosis. Species of Typhlopolycystis , 0.7 mm long with two small eyes close to each other. The proboscis is huge, at least 1/3 of the body length and the pharynx is small. The prostate stylet and the accessory stylet are proximally attached to each other. The prostate stylet is slightly bent, 62 µm long and 8 µm broad proximally and with a blunt rounded end of about 5 µm broad. The accessory stylet is 70 µm long with a proximal diameter of 8 µm. From its base, it first narrows, then broadens again to 7 µm and then tapers to a fine end. The seminal receptacle consists of two vesicles.

Occurrence. Panama: Achotines Bay , right side of pipeline, next to rocks, fine sand (7°24'53.48'' N, 80°10'25.1364''W) (by Artois, 22 February 2016) (Type Locality) .

Material examined. Observations on, and micrographs of the living animal. One whole mount, the holotype (USNM nr 1523611).

Etymology. Species name in honour of Dr. F. Leasi (Smithsonian Institution), who organised the sampling campaign in Panama in 2016.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Typhlopolycystis leasiae n. sp. (A) Micrograph of the living animal. (B) The atrial organs in the living animal. (C) The copulatory organ in the holotype (C2 in the living animal). (D) The seminal receptacle in the living animal. (scale = 20 µm except in A)