Duplominona chicomendesi Curini-Galletti, 2019

Curini-Galletti, Marco, Stocchino, Giacinta A. & Norenburg, Jon L., 2019, New species of Duplominona Karling, 1966 and Pseudominona Karling, 1978 (Platyhelminthes: Proseriata) from the Caribbean, Zootaxa 4657 (1), pp. 127-147 : 136

Duplominona chicomendesi Curini-Galletti n. sp.

( Fig. 5 A–C)

Holotype. Puerto Rico: Cayo Turrumote , off Isla Magueyes (Lat. 17.940478, long -67.043068), channels among Montastrea outcrops, about 10 m deep, in silty medium sand, December 1988: original film and printed pictures of the copulatory structures (SMNH-Type 9179).

Other material. Same data as holotype, two specimens observed alive, and used for karyology.

Etymology. The species’ name honors Chico Mendes (December 15, 1944 – December 22, 1988), a Brazilian environmentalist, who fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and was killed on the very day the holotype of this species was being studied.

Description and Diagnosis. Similar to Duplominona dissimilispina , in habitus, arrangement of internal organs, number and position of genital pores ( Fig. 5 A ). Copulatory organ with a very small cirrus ( Figs 5 B, C ), with few spines arranged in 5–7 rows. Proximal spines are 3–5 μm in length, strongly curved, with a wide, flattened basis, to 3 μm in diameter. In the middle of cirrus, spines are longer, to 7.5 μm, even more curved, with a very slender distal tip. Distalmost spines are smaller, to 2 μm long, straighter, with a wide, flattened basis. Proximally, the cirrus lumen is surrounded by a furrowed pseudocuticula.

Prostatoid stylet about 20 μm long.

Karyotype. With n=3, and basic karyotype for the Monocelididae ( Curini-Galletti & Martens, 1990) ; Chromosome pairs I and II markedly differing in length. Karyotype formula: FN=5; Chromosome I: 51.58 ± 2.81; 46.11 ± 1.29 (m); Chromosome II: 33.45 ± 1.53; 45.85 ± 1.34 (m); Chromosome III: 14.95 ± 2.46; 8.11 ± 3.9 (a) (based on 6 plates).

Figures

FIGURE 5. (A–C) Duplominona chicomendesi n. sp. (A) Habitus of a living animal; see Fig. 1 for interpretation of anatomical features. (B) Reconstruction of the inverted cirrus showing the sclerotised copulatory structures. (C) Micrograph of the inverted cirrus (Holotype). (D–G) Duplominona diademata n. sp. (D) Micrograph of a metaphasic plate. (E) Habitus of a living animal; see Fig. 1 for interpretation of anatomical features. (F, G) Reconstruction (F) and micrograph (G) of the inverted cirrus of the Holotype. (Scale bars: B–D = 5 m; F, G = 10m).