Notocomplana distincta ( Prudhoe, 1982 ) Rodríguez & Hutchings & Williamson, 2021

Rodríguez, Jorge, Hutchings, Pat A. & Williamson, Jane E., 2021, Biodiversity of intertidal marine flatworms (Polycladida, Platyhelminthes) in southeastern Australia, Zootaxa 5024 (1), pp. 1-63 : 46

Notocomplana distincta ( Prudhoe, 1982) comb. nov.

( Fig. 18 )

Notoplana distincta Prudhoe, 1982: 367–369 , fig. 3.

Material examined: One specimen sagittally sectioned. AM W.51330 (15 slides). A specimen was collected at low tide under rocks from Australia, Victoria, Cats Bay, Phillip Island 38°30’24.6”S, 145°07’33.8”E, coll. Jorge Rodriguez, Patrick Burke and Louise Tosetto, July 12 th, 2018 .

Remarks: The studied specimen agreed with the original description by Prudhoe (1982). Externally, Notocomplana distincta ( Prudhoe, 1982) comb. nov. possesses an elongated body shape with a pale cream dorsal colouration and an anteriorly positioned pharynx ( Fig. 18A, B, D ). Internally, N. distincta is characterised by the presence of a seminal vesicle, interpolated prostatic vesicle lined with tubularly chambered glandular epithelium, an elongated penis papilla housed in a penis-pocket and a simple female system with narrow vagina externa and circular Lang’s vesicle ( Fig. 18E, F ).

Faubel (1983) created the genus Notocomplana to separate Notoplana species without a penis stylet. As such, Notoplana distincta was transferred to Notocomplana under the new combination Notocomplana distincta .

Distribution: Australia, South Australia, St. Vincent Gulf, Port Noarlunga ( Prudhoe 1982, type locality).

New record: Australia, Victoria, Cats Bay, Phillip Island.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Notocomplana distincta (Prudhoe, 1982) comb. nov. A. Dorsal view of live specimen. B. Dorsal view of a fixed specimen, treated with a clearing agent. C. Details of the reproductive systems. D. Arrangement of the eyes. E. Sagittal reconstruction of the reproductive system. F. Histological sections of the reproductive system.