MEIDIAMIDAE, Schockaert & Curini-Galletti & Ridder & Volonterio & Artois, 2009

Schockaert, Ernest R., Curini-Galletti, Marco, Ridder, Wouter De, Volonterio, Odile & Artois, Tom, 2009, A new family of lithophoran Proseriata (Platyhelminthes), with the description of seven new species from the Indo-Pacific and South America, and the proposal of three new genera, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155 (4), pp. 759-773 : 760

MEIDIAMIDAE , NEW FAMILY

Diagnosis: Lithophoran Proseriata with an encapsulated brain, a precerebral gut diverticle, intraepidermal nuclei, and with the epidermis completely ciliated. Ovaries in front of the vitellaria, anterior of and close to the pharynx; a long female duct, the oviducts joining before the male copulatory organ, and with the female pore behind it (digonoporid condition). With a genito-intestinal connection close to the female pore, leading to a resorbing bursa incorporated in the gut. Testes: in front of the ovaries. Copulatory organ directed forwards, with a stylet and atrial needles, only needles, or only a stylet. One or a pair of seminal vesicles behind the copulatory organ. Accessory glandular organ, associated with the male atrium, present or not. Pharynx globular and directed ventrally.

Type genus: Meidiama Marcus, 1946 .