Kerriona vilavelhaensis James, Bartz & Brown, 2023

James, Samuel W., Bartz, Marie L. C. & Brown, George G., 2023, New Ocnerodrilidae genera, species and records from Brazil (Annelida: Crassiclitellata), Zootaxa 5255 (1), pp. 235-269 : 246

Kerriona vilavelhaensis James, Bartz & Brown , sp. nov. ( Fig. 7 a-c)

Holotype. BRPR0558 , adult, Vila Velha State Park , Ponta Grossa, Paraná state, Brazil, S25.2519°, W50.0158°, 801 m asl., in marshy soil in a wetland; 31 January 2006, S.W. James, S.K. Davidson, G.G. Brown, N. Pinel, T. Decaëns, colls.

Paratype. BRPR1853 , one adult, same data as holotype .

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality, the state park of Vila Velha.

Description. Dimensions 37-45 mm by 1.5-1.6 mm at segment x, 1.6-1.8 mm at clitellum, 1.6-1.8 mm at xxx, body cylindrical, tapering in posterior third to narrow conical pygidium; final 20 or more segments much shorter; segments 127, 92 (80 plus 12 regenerates). Setae closely paired throughout, CD sub-lateral; setal formula AA:AB: BC:CD = 5:1:4.5:1.3 at x, 4.5:1:4:1.3 at xxx, DD> ½ circumference. Prostomium epilobous open; segments lacking secondary annulations. Unpigmented, no dorsal pores, spermathecal pores within 7/8, 8/9 at B. Ovipores in xiv just behind 13/14 lateral to B line; male pores in xviii within seminal grooves in line with B; secondary prostatic pores deep transverse slits at ends of seminal grooves in xvii, xix; grooves in B ½ xvii-½ xix. Small turrets within the prostatic pore invaginations. Setae AB present, unmodified in xviii, absent in xvii, xix. Clitellum xiv-½xx, saddle shape, slight mid-ventral elevations in xvi, xx ( Fig. 7a ).

Anterior septa 5/6-9/10 lightly muscular. Alimentary canal lacking gizzard but esophagus faintly muscular in vii, but not enlarged compared to adjacent segments; esophagus valvular in xi, intestinal origin in xii; no typhlosole. Calciferous glands ovate, small and paired in ix ( Fig. 7b ), attached ventro-laterally to esophagus, with at least one longitudinal partition, and 7-8 thick lower ridges filling space of gland, but separate; each gland with blood vessel from anterior end to extra-esophageal vessel, and blood vessel from posterior face of gland to supra-esophageal vessel. Holonephric, first nephridia in segment vi, tubular throughout with apparently dorsal bladder, or thin peritoneal mantle attached to uppermost tubule bordering the possible bladder.

Vascular system with ventral trunk, single dorsal trunk in iv-ix, dorsal vessel double in vii-xvi or xi-xviii, perforations in dorsal vessel from xvii or xix-xxii or scattered to xxx; lateral vessels in iv-ix, esophageal hearts in x-xi.

Fan-shaped ovaries, with funnels in xiii; paired spermathecae in viii, ix, consisting of cylindrical muscular duct containing sperm chambers; ovate ampulla well-demarcated from duct ( Fig. 7b ).

Male sexual system proandric, testes and funnels in x free, vas deferens superficial on body wall from 10/11, terminates in small bulb in xviii; seminal vesicles in ix large acinous laterally, placed on body wall, small and post-septal in xi. Large tubular prostates folded under intestine within xv, xvii-xxiv, xxvii; prostatic ducts slender, muscular, 2 or 3 segments long, enter muscular copulatory bursal domes in xvii, xix ( Fig. 7c ). Intra-coelomic bursae contain two wedge-shaped turrets, the posterior of which connected to a short low wall curving anteriorly. No penial setae.

Remarks: In this species the copulatory bursae are clearly not only intra-parietal but are prominent in the body cavity, unlike the other Kerriona . The seminal vesicles of ix are larger than those of xi, the reverse of the common situation and that of all other known Kerriona , except for K. clivedwardsi sp. nov., which lacks seminal vesicles in ix. Calciferous gland lamellae are thicker and fewer in number than those of other Kerriona , and the extent of doubled or perforated dorsal vessel is within the range of vii to xxx. There are no DNA barcode data for this species due to repeated failures of PCR and sequencing.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Kerriona vilavelhaensis sp. nov.A. Ventral view with prostatic pores (pp); B. Internal view with spermathecae (sp) and calciferous glands(cg); C. Prostate glands (pr), scale bar 1 mm.