Cheliplana vestibularis de Beauchamp, 1927

Gobert, Stefan, Diez, Yander L., Monnens, Marlies, Reygel, Patrick, Van Steenkiste, Niels W. L., Leander, Brian S. & Artois, Tom, 2021, A revision of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 (Rhabdocoela: Schizorhynchia), with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 453-494 : 486

Cheliplana vestibularis de Beauchamp, 1927

Material examined. None.

Known distribution. Bay of Arcachon, France ( de Beauchamp 1927).

Étang de Canet, France (Ax 1956).

Remarks (summarised from literature). According to de Beauchamp (1927), live specimens are at most 1 mm long. De Beauchamp (1927) describes the specimens’ posterior end as capable to take on a four-lobed aspect; however, we suspect this may be the result of the action of the adhesive belt in combination with compression of the specimen. Small rhabdites are reported from the middle region of the body. Adhesive cells, which appear pearl-like in live specimens, are present over the entire surface of the specimen.

The split proboscis bears a pair of 16-μm-long hooks. Soft sidepieces are present, but no bristles on the sidepieces are reported.

A pair of partially fused testes is present near the caudal end of the pharynx. A pair of vasa deferentia runs from the testes towards the seminal vesicles, which empty into the proximal part of the copulatory bulb. The copulatory bulb is more or less pear-shaped and has a globular prostatic vesicle in its proximal part. The distal half of the bulb contains an eversible cirrus armed with minute, sclerotised spines.

The paired vitellaria run ventro-laterally on either side of the body. A single ovary is situated alongside the common genital atrium. A curved bursa is present near the caudal end of the body.