Perspiria boucheri, Sun & Zhai & Huang, 2019

Sun, Jing, Zhai, Hongxiu & Huang, Yong, 2019, Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. (Nematoda, Desmodorida) from the East China Sea, Zootaxa 4695 (2), pp. 195-200 : 196-199

Perspiria boucheri sp. nov.

( Figs . 1–3 )

Type material. Holotype was collected from Station DH5-4, on the slide DH 12-5-4-1 -1.

Additional material. Three males and two females were collected from Stations DH5-3 and DH 4-8 in the East China Sea , respectively . ♂ 2, ♂ 3, ♂ 4, ♀ 1 and ♀ 2 on slides DH 12-5-3-4 -1, DH 12-5-3-4 -3, DH 12-5-3-4 -4 and DH 12-4-8-2-1.

Type locality and habitat. Seabed in the East China Sea. Station DH 5-4: 123º 13´2″ E, 27º 47΄32″ N, water depth 86 m, silt sediment .

Additional locality and habitat. Station DH5-3: 122º 49´34″ E, 28º 2΄ 26″ N, water depth 74 m, clay and sandy sediment ; Station DH4-8: 125º 52´28″ E, 29º 58΄ 2″ N, water depth 1 16 m, silt sediment.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Guy Boucher, in recognition of his contributions to nematode taxonomy.

Measurements. All measurement data are given in Table 1 .

Description. Males. Body cylindrical with blunt head end and filiform tail end. Cuticle striated, more obvious in the tail than in the head region. The cuticular striations surrounds the amphideal fovea partly. Inner labial sensilla not found, six outer labial sensilla papilliform, four cephalic setae stout, 4.5–5.5 μm long, located at the level with anterior border of the amphideal fovea. Four longitudinal rows of 3–4 μm cervical setae located at anterior region, each row consisting of 2–3 setae. Somatic setae not found. Amphideal fovea simple spiral and loop shaped with a circular outline, 50% of the corresponding body diameter. Buccal cavity conical, with a minute dorsal tooth and two ventrosublateral teeth. Pharynx muscular with a pyriform terminal bulb, lumen not heavily cuticularized. Cardia conical, 10 μm long. Nerve ring not found. Ventral gland and excretory pore not observed. Tail long, conico-cylin- drical with 3/4 posterior cylindrical portion which having coarse annulations, only the terminal tip smooth. Three caudal glands present. Spinneret distinct.

Reproductive system diorchic. Two opposed and outstretched testes. Spicules slender with narrow ventral velum, 1.4–1.7 cloaca body diameter long, regularly curved, enlarged handle-like proximally and tapered distally. Gubernaculum canoe-shaped, without apophysis. Precloacal supplements absent.

Females. Similar to males in most morphological characters except for body size slightly larger. Reproductive system didelphic, two opposed and reflexed ovaries. Anterior ovary located to the right of intestine, posterior ovary to the left of intestine. Two oval, sac-like spermathecae located on each side of each (anterior and posterior) gonoduct. Spermathecae filled with oval spermatozoa. Vagina straight, strongly cuticularized, 0.5 times vulval body diameters long. Vulva located mid-body.

Differential diagnosis and Discussion. The genus Perspiria was proposed by Wieser & Hopper (1967). Spirina hamata Timm, 1962 was assigned as type species of Perspiria . Vincx and Gourbault (1989) firstly revised the genus. Recently, Leduc and Verschelde (2015) reviewed the genus and recognized nine valid species. The genus is characteristic by cuticle faintly striated on the body and prominently striated on the tail, buccal cavity small with three minute teeth (or absent), terminal bulb of the pharynx round to pyriform, amphideal fovea simple spiral with a circular outline, surrounded partialy by cuticle striations, spicules slender with well-developed capitulum, precloacal supplements small pore-like, tubiform or lacking, tail filiform ( Tchesunov, 2014).

The new species is characteristic by amphideal fovea surrounded partly by body annulations; small, conical buccal cavity with a minute dorsal tooth and two ventrosublateral teeth; pharynx with a pyriform terminal bulb; tail filiform with distinct coarse annulations; spicules strongly curved with narrow ventral velum, handle-shaped proximally, tapered distally; gubenaculum canoe-shaped without apophysis. By its longer and prominent annulate tail, Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. is most similar to Perspiria striaticaudata (Timm, 1962) and P. mokii Coles, 1987 . However, the new species differs from P. striaticaudata by strongly curved spicules with handle-shaped proximal end, gubernaculum without dorsal apophysis, and relatively shorter tail (6–6.8 vs 11 cloacal body diameter in males, 7–7.3 vs 12.4–17.6 cloacal body diameter in females). The new species differs from P. mokii by shorter tail (c′=6–7.3 vs 9–10), longer pharynx (b= 9.7–11.6 vs 13.9–16) and different spicule shape. The difference between Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. and other congeners can be inferred from the key below.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. (A) entire view of male; (B) pharyngeal region of male, showing amphideal fovea and terminal bulb; (C) anterior end of male, showing buccal cavity and cephalic setae; (D) entire view of female; (E) spicule and gubernaculum; (F) tail end of male, showing spicule and gubernaculum; (G) reproductive system of female, showing vulva and ovary.

FIGURE 2. Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. (A) anterior end of female, showing cephalic setae, amphideal fovea and pharyngeal bulb; (B) anterior end of male, showing buccal cavity, cephalic setae; (C) tail end of male; (D) cloacal region of male, showing spicules and gubernaculum. (Scales: A, C = 20 μm; B, D = 10 μm)

FIGURE 3. Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. (A), (B) reproductive system of female, showing ovary, eggs and vulva. (Scales: A, B = 20 μm)

Tables

TABLE 1. Individual measurements of Perspiria boucheri sp. nov. (in µm except a, b, c, c′ and V%)

Characters	Holotype	Additional specimens
	♂1	♂2	♂3	♂4	♀1	♀2
	DH5-4	DH5-3	DH5-3	DH4-8	DH4-8	DH5-3
Total body length	1392	1294	1420	1212	1565	1460
Maximum body diameter	30	28	29	25	31	39
Head diameter	13	15	14	14	15	16
Length of cephalic setae	4.5	5	5.5	5	4	5
Diameter of amphideal fovea	6.5	7	9	8	8	7
Pharynx length	129	131	135	125	135	130
Body diameter at the base of pharynx	28	24	26	24	26	33
Length of spicule along arc	38	36	41	40	-	-
Length of gubernaculum	9	10	13	11	-	-
Cloacal or anal body diameter	25	22	24	22	23	22
Tail length	150	150	168	150	160	160
Vulva from anterior end	-		-	-	815	760
Vulva body diameter	-		-	-	33	50
V%	-		-	-	52	52
a	46.4	46.2	49.0	48.5	50.5	37.4
b	10.8	9.9	10.5	9.7	11.6	11.2
c	9.3	8.6	8.5	8.1	9.8	9.1
c′	6.0	6.8	7.0	6.8	7.0	7.3