Alma sp.

James, Samuel W. & Divina, Gildas Brice, 2012, Earthworms (Clitellata: Acanthodrilidae, Almidae, Eudrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae) of the coastal region of Gamba, Ogooué-Maritime Province, southwestern Gabon, Zootaxa 3458, pp. 133-148 : 144

Alma sp.

Material. USNM 1180260 , juveniles, Gamba Complex , Gabon at water’s edge in swamp between low forested dune ridges of coastal plain at 2.80055°S, 10.04411°E, 13 m asl., 17, 18 May 2008; S. James, G. Divina, G. Moussavou and L. Tchignoumba, colls .

USNM 1180261 , juveniles, Ivinga , Gamba Complex, Gabon in forested flat on coastal plain at 2.78957°S, 10.04805°E, 15 m asl., 17 May 2008; S. James, G. Divina, G. Moussavou and L. Tchignoumba, colls .

USNM 1180259 , 1180262 , juveniles and subadults, Vembo , Gamba Complex, Gabon; gardens and lakeshore around lab buildings at 2.74746° S, 9.99633° E, 10 m asl., 18 and 20 May 2008; S. James, G. Divina, G. Moussavou and L. Tchignoumba, colls .

Description. Faint blue-green coloration in segments I–V, elsewhere darker dorsally but not clearly pigmented. Prostomium zygolobic, setal pairs nearly equidistant throughout, with AA slightly less than DD; body square in cross section from about XL back. Small pads spanning 1/2 XVIII–1/2 XX, with cleft slightly in front of equator of XIX in AB; setae ab missing in XVIII–XX. No sign of female or spermathecal pores; nephropores intrasegmental in B, about halfway from the seta to the intersegmental furrow anterior.

Anterior septa muscular, no esophageal gizzard, esophagus long, slender with pebbly internal texture VIII–XXV; very muscular valvular section XXVI–XXVIII approaching gizzard status; voluminous uninterrupted intestinal gizzard XXIX–XXXI with transverse internal ridges; intestinal origin XXXII; typhlosole XXXIV to at least XC, approximately quadrangular in cross section with internal structure of glandular or perhaps chloragogenous tissue; outer portion with numerous closely spaced transverse corrugations encircling the intestinal surface of the typhlosole. Vascular system with single dorsal vessel, lateral commissures R VI, R VII, VIII–X; lateral-esophageal hearts XI–XIII, supra-esophageal vessel VII–XXIV; in VII joining latero-parietal vessel of left side. Latero-parietal vessels paired on ventral body wall at AB level from VI back to end; in IX–XXIV with segmental branches to ventral esophageal wall, from XXV posteriorly segmental branches joining under nerve cord to make ladder formation, from XXX the latero-parietals bend medially to run adjacent to nerve cord, and diminish in volume dramatically from XLV–XLVI.

Holandric, large bushy testes and multiply-folded elongate funnels in X, XI; club-shaped seminal vesicles XI, XII. Ovaries and funnels free in XIII, the latter in many zig-zag folds until body wall near 13/14. Paired glands (?) at CD level XIV–XXV adjacent to upper limbs of nephridia; could be part of nephridia but not present in later segments. Large, stomate holonephridia.

Remarks. The specimens found at Gamba were all immature, only the Vembo worm having any sign of sexual organ development. Therefore it is not possible to identify them any further, or to write a proper description of the species found. The morphological characters observable on these juveniles are consistent with membership in the Almidae , but because so much of the literature has focused primarily on sexual anatomy, it is not possible to be certain of a genus assignment. The most probable genus, based on the beginnings of claspers on segments 18–20, is Alma Grube, 1855 . The geographically closest known member of the genus is Alma zebangui Dubosq, 1902, which is from the Bangui River basin in the Central African Republic (formerly French Congo, as was Gabon). The Almidae are typically found in wetlands, margins of rivers and lakes, on the edges of rice paddies, and other saturated soil conditions.