Proschizorhynchus troglodytus, Gobert & Monnens & Eerdekens & Schockaert & Reygel & Artois, 2020

Gobert, Stefan, Monnens, Marlies, Eerdekens, Lise, Schockaert, Ernest, Reygel, Patrick & Artois, Tom, 2020, Schizorhynchia Meixner, 1928 (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) of the Iberian Peninsula, with a description of four new species from Portugal, European Journal of Taxonomy 595, pp. 1-17 : 8

Proschizorhynchus troglodytus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C0548D31-D347-4B4D-8990-9D72F7FD8CED

Fig. 2 D–E

Etymology

The species epithet ‘troglodytus’, meaning ‘cave-dweller’, refers to the type locality, which is situated in a submerged cave.

Material examined

Holotype PORTUGAL • 1 whole-mount (photographs of live specimen available); Algarve region , Carvoeiro, beach at Vale de Covo; 37°05′34″ N, 08°27′33″ W; 27 May 2013; B. Tessens leg.; fine, clean sand in rockpool near cave mouth at 1 m depth; HU 617.

Other material

PORTUGAL • 1 whole-mount (photographs of live specimen available); Algarve region, Carvoeiro, beach below Vale de Covo; 37°05′32″ N, 08°27′33″ W; 27 May 2013; B. Tessens leg.; inside a cave at about 0.5 m depth, fine to medium, clean sand, with fine shell debris; HU X.1.39 • 1 whole-mount (photographs of live specimen available); Algarve region, Carvoeiro, beach below Vale de Covo; 37°05′33″ N, 08°27′35″ W; 27 May 2013; B. Tessens leg.; fine to medium, clean sand, with fine shell debris between rocks at beach in cave mouth, at low-water line; HU X.1.40.

Description

Specimens have a pair of pigmented eyes. The elongate, split proboscis is unarmed and lies at the anterior body end.

The copulatory apparatus consists of an elongate bulb, with a pair of small seminal vesicles entering it proximally. The distal end of the copulatory bulb holds the sclerotised copulatory apparatus. This consists of a long stylet with a plate-like, widened base, set in a grooved cirrus sheath and surrounded by a sclerotised penis papilla ( Fig. 2 D–E). The stylet is curved and measures 70–76 μm (x = 74, n = 3) overall. Approximately the distal half of the stylet protrudes beyond the rim of the penis papilla when the copulatory organ is in its relaxed state. The distal rim of the cirrus sheath is lined with 25-μm-long, curved spines.

Vitellaria are paired and occur laterally. A single ovary is situated near the caudal end of the specimen. The collected material did not allow for a more detailed study of the female system.

Remarks

See taxonomic discussion following P. reniformis .

Figures

Fig. 2. Copulatory organ of species of Proschizorhynchus Meixner, 1928. A. Proschizorhynchus algarvensis sp. nov., holotype (HU 615). B–C. P. arnautsae sp. nov. B. Holotype (HU 616). C. Aspecimen from the reference collection of Hasselt University (HU X.1.35). D–E. P. troglodytus sp. nov. D. Holotype (HU 617). E. A specimen from the reference collection of Hasselt University (HU X.1.40). F–G. P. pectinatus l’Hardy, 1965 (HU X.1.43). F. Copulatory organ. G. Sclerotised spermatic duct. H. P. reniformis Brunet, 1970 (HU X.1.45). Scale bars: A, F = 50 µm; B–E, G–H = 20 µm.