Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal)

Schockaert, Ernest R. (2014): Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal). Zootaxa 3872 (5): 577-590, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.

Macrostomum

<i>Macrostomum</i> species 2 <p>Fig. 1 B</p> <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> Faro (Portugal), Ria Formosa, beach in front of the fishermen’s houses close to the Ramalhete research facilities of the University of the Algarve. Low mid-littoral, medium-grain sand with the reduced zone about 5 cm deep (37° 00.283 N, 7° 58.005 W; 7 October 2013).</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> One whole mount (HU nr. VI.3.18).</p> <p>The animal is less than 1 mm in the whole mount, with eyes. The total length of the stylet is 36 µm (28 µm measured along line b) and its proximal diameter is 13 µm. At about 24 µm from the proximal rim, the stylet is only 2 µm wide, where it makes a bend of 90° to ends sharply 13 µm further. This terminal spine spirals slightly in a counter-clockwise direction. The opening of the stylet was not seen. The proximal rim is reflected at one side (artefact?).</p> <p> The length of the stylet of this species falls within the range of the stylet size of <i>M. hystricinum</i> (see above), though the proximal opening is somewhat narrower (length being twice the diameter), and the terminal part spirals. To the best of my knowledge, only <i>M. spirale</i> Ax, 1956 has a twisted end, but its stylet is over 120 µm long.</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on page 579, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Paromalostomum minutum Rieger 1971

<i>Paromalostomum minutum</i> Rieger, 1971 <p>Fig. 4</p> <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> From the same samples in which <i>P. dubium</i> was found.</p> <p> <b>Known distribution.</b> So far, this species is known only from the type locality, Venice (Italy), Lido di Alberoni around the low-water level in shallow water and in a tidal beach pool; clean fine sand.</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> one whole mount (HU nr. VI.3.23).</p> <p>The penis stylet is 150 µm and the accessory stylet 62 µm long (or around 60 µm), resp. 100–120 µm and 55–65 µm in the description of Rieger (1971b). The very end of the penis stylet makes a turn of almost 360° and is not surrounded by the thickened sheath of the terminal part. The accessory stylet has a proximal diameter of 6 µm and a sharp and curved terminal end. In the female hard parts the sperm tube is 184 µm and the mouthpiece 22 µm long (about 8 µm in Rieger’s material). The middle piece is a comma-like plate (about 20 µm long) with a thickened outer side with teeth-like knobs.</p> <p> <b>A B c</b> st Ds</p> <p>mi ps mp Αf Β</p> <p>⊂</p> <p> Along with <i>P. minutum</i>, Rieger (1971b) also described <i>P. parvum</i>, from the same samples, with hard parts very similar in form and size. The only differences are that the penis stylet in <i>P. parvum</i> does not show a twisted end, and that the middle piece of the female hard parts is smooth without the teeth-like knobs. Also <i>P. massiliensis</i> Rieger, 1971, from the Marseille area, has hard parts looking like those in <i>P. minutum</i>, but has an accessory stylet about twice as long.</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on pages 582-583, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Acanthomacrostomum spiculiferum Papi & Swedmark 1959

<i>Acanthomacrostomum spiculiferum</i> Papi & Swedmark, 1959 <p>Fig. 2</p> <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> This species was abundantly present in clean, relatively coarse sand, 5–10 m deep, near Sagres, close to the most western cape of Europe (37° 01.156 N, 8° 55.061 W and 37° 02.390 N, 8° 52.436 W; 20 September 2011).</p> <p> <b>Known distribution.</b> The species is known from its type locality, Pointe de Bloscon, Roscoff, Brittany, France and from Northern Ireland (Boaden 1966).</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> Brief live observations, two whole mounts (HU nrs VI.3.20–21).</p> <p>The animals are rather large, 1.7 and 2.7 mm long and 0.6–0.8 mm wide in the whole mounts. The penis stylets are 62 and 68 µm long (or 53–55 µm when measured in a straight line), the accessory stylets 73 and 76 µm long (or around 70 µm). The middle piece in the hard parts of the female system is about 40 µm long and the mouthpiece is 28 µm long.</p> <p> Though these animals seem to be larger than the French representatives (around 1 mm), the dimensions of the hard parts are very similar or even slightly smaller than those given by Papi & Swedmark (1959) and by Rieger (1971a, based on the type material): 67–74 µm long for the penis stylet, 80 µm for the accessory stylet, 34 µm for the middle piece and 40 µm for the mouthpiece. Ax (1971) described <i>A. gerlachi</i> from the Maldives with stylets looking like those of <i>A. spiculiferum</i> (but smaller, <i>i.e.</i> both about 50 µm), and with very different female hard parts. Laumer & Giribet (2014) mention a species of <i>Acanthomacrostomum</i> from Eastern Panama without further identification.</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on page 581, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Macrostomum rubrocinctum Ax 1951

<i>Macrostomum</i> cf. <i>rubrocinctum</i> Ax, 1951 <p>Fig. 1 C</p> <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> Faro (Portugal), Ria Formosa, at the entrance of the so-called Garganta channel. Higher littoral, in the outlet of a tidal pool with very coarse shell debris, mixed with coarse sand, detritus and silt (13 September 2011).</p> <p> <b>A B c</b> b D Α ⊂ <b>Material.</b> One whole mount (HU nr. VI.3.19).</p> <p>The stylet of this species is 73 µm long (or 65 µm measured along line b), the proximal opening 35 µm wide, the stylet tapering to 5 µm width at some 55 µm, where it bends over 90° to the distal end. The terminal opening is at the convex side, about 10 µm wide.</p> <p> The shape and size of the stylet correspond with those in M. <i>rubrocinctum</i> (50–75 µm in Ax 2008). However, since no data is available on the living animal, and the pigmentation of the head, which is characteristic for this species, is not seen in the whole mount with certainty, I hesitate to assert that this species indeed belongs to <i>M. rubrocinctum</i>. The shape of the stylet is also very similar to that of <i>M. (Archimacrostomum) sublitorale</i> Faubel & Warwick, 2005, but the measurements do not correspond: those authors give a stylet length of 105 µm (to compare with the length along line b), much longer than the stylet in the Algarve specimen. As thoroughly discussed by Papi (1959) the genera <i>Archimacrostomum</i> and <i>Inframacrostomum,</i> as proposed by Ferguson in 1954, are not acceptable.</p> <p> The three species found in the Ria Formosa belong to the group of species with a hook-shaped stylet. Schärer <i>et al.</i> (2011) mapped a number of reproductive traits on the molecular phylogeny of 16 species of <i>Macrostomum</i>, five of which have such a hook-shaped stylet. It appears that two species with an nearly identical stylet are not closely related to each other: <i>M. hystricinum marinum</i> Rieger, 1977 from the open beach with high salinity of Grado near Venice (Italy) and <i>M. hystrix</i> Ørsted, 1843 <i>sensu</i> Luther, 1905 from an irrigation channel with low and variable salinity in the same area. The authors consider it very difficult—if not impossible—to identify some of these species based on stylet morphology alone. Since insufficient data on the living animals, and no molecular data are available, I do not want to add to the already existing taxonomic confusion in this group of species by naming the species from the Ria Formosa (see <i>e.g</i>. the discussion by Schärer <i>et al</i>. (2011) on <i>M. hystrix</i>).</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on pages 579-580, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Paromalostomum dubium

<i>Paromalostomum dubium</i> (de Beauchamp, 1927) <p>Fig. 3</p> <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> Faro (Portugal), Ria Formosa, lower mid littoral, fine sand with the reduced layer 5–10 cm deep. (37° 01.037 N, 7° 48.674 W; 18 October 2013).</p> <p> <b>Known distribution.</b> <i>P. dubium</i> was described from the Bay of Arcachon, France (de Beauchamp 1927), and is known from the North Sea, mainly around the Island of Sylt, Germany (<i>e.g</i>. Pawlak 1969; Hellwig 1987), Mariakerke, Belgium (S. Pyataeva, pers. comm.), the Swedish West Coast (Westblad 1953), the Bight of Kiel, Germany (<i>e.g</i>. Ax 1951a and b) and in N. Wales (Boaden 1963). Ax (1959) mentioned this species also from the Black Sea (Sile, Turkish N. coast).</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> Micrographs of the living animal, one whole mount (HU nr. VI.3.22).</p> <p> The animal is around 0.8 mm in the whole mount. The shape and measurements of the hard parts of the genital system leave no doubt that this individual is a representative of <i>P. dubium</i>. The penis stylet is 194 µm long and the accessory stylet 129 µm (or 110 µm along a straight line). According to Rieger (1971b), the mean length of the penis stylet is 190 µm and that of the accessory stylet 105 µm. Rieger’s (1977) measurements of a population from Arcachon give a mean of 183.62 µm with a SD of 9.72 µm for the penis stylet and a mean of 103.92 µm, SD 5.28 µm for the accessory stylet, meaning that the Algarve individual has stylets with lengths that fall into the range of the animals in the Arcachon population. The conspicuous thick ring at the proximal opening of the penis stylet and the funnel-like terminal opening of the accessory stylet are, according to Ax (2008), characteristics of this species. In the female hard parts, the middle piece has the form as depicted by Rieger (1971b) and by Ax (2008) with a very short mouthpiece (10 µm). Both authors depict the terminal end of the penis stylet as sharp. Close observation shows that the opening has a diameter slightly less than the end part of the stylet (see Fig. 3, insert).</p> <p> <b>c a</b> mp</p> <p>Ds</p> <p>mi</p> <p>st ps ⊂f D</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on pages 581-582, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Haplopharynx papii Schockaert, 2014, n. sp.

<i>Haplopharynx papii</i> n. sp. <p> <b>Localities in the Algarve.</b> Faro (Portugal), (1) Type locality: Ria Formosa, 36° 59.961 N, 7° 54.964 W. Lower intertidal, fine sand with silt. Two adults found on 7 October 2013. Three juvenile individuals of <i>Haplopharynx</i> spec. were found in the Ria Formosa at 37° 0.317 N, 7° 58.080 W, between the roots of <i>Spartina</i> sp. in relatively coarse and clean sand (19 September 2012, 25 September 2012 and 18 October 2013). (2) Beach exposed to the ocean on the Anção peninsula, about mid-way between Praia de Faro and the bridge of Quita do Lago. Mid-littoral zone at 50–60 cm deep in damp relatively coarse and clean sand (at 37° 01.669 N, 8° 01.092 W on 8 September 2011).</p> <p> <b>Other location.</b> Near Zanca Sant’Andrea, North of the Island of Elba (Italy), collected by Lukas Schärer at 13 m depth on sand flat at the bottom of a rock ledge (42°8087 N, 10°1418 E; 3 May 2010).</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> Two whole mounts from the Ria Formosa, one of them designated holotype (SMNH Type-8581 and HU nr. PT 564) and one from the exposed beach (HU nr. VI.3.24). Micrographs and videos of two individuals from Elba (specimen accession codes MTP LS 720 and MTP LS 724). The diagnosis and the description below are based on the individuals from Faro, unless stated otherwise.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Species of <i>Haplopharynx</i> with a straight stylet of 50–55 mm length and an oblique terminal opening and six needles 42–43 mm long, four almost parallel with the stylet; two oblique and closer to the stylet, all with a small wing at one side and a larger wing at the other side.</p> <p> <b>Derivation of the name.</b> In honour of, and in gratitude to Prof. Floriano Papi (Emeritus of the University of Pisa, Italy), who introduced me to the study of the “Turbellaria”.</p> <p> The animals are about 2.5 mm long (one measured in a whole mount), with the copulatory organ about in the middle of the animal. The proboscis most resembles that of <i>H. quadristimulus</i> (Ax, 1971) with eight gland tracks. In the hard parts of the copulatory organ, the stylet is straight, 50 and 52 mm long and 11 and 14 mm in diameter, with an oblique terminal opening. Next to the stylet, there is a ring of four needles about parallel to the stylet. These four needles have a narrow lateral transparent keel or wing at one side and a larger wing at the opposite side. There are two more needles making an angle with the stylet. These have a small keel at the side directed to each other and a very large keel at the other side. All six needles are of almost the same length, 42 mm in one individual and 43 mm in the other one. In the individuals from Elba, the stylet is 72 and 75 mm and the needles, with 55 and 58 mm, are longer than in the individuals from Faro.</p> <p> <b>A a</b> Αf D</p> <p> Βf ⊂f Ε Until now, only two species of <i>Haplopharynx</i> have been described, <i>H. rostratus</i> Meixner, 1938, known from N. European coasts from Bergen in Norway (Karling 1965) to the Scilly Islands in Cornwall, England (Faubel & Warwick 2005) and <i>H. quadristimulus</i> Ax, 1971, from the western French Mediterranean coast (Canet Plage, Languedoc Roussillon, France). <i>H. rostratus</i> has a slightly curved stylet 80–89 µm long, with an oblique terminal opening and a ring of 7–9 needles of 60–69 µm length, without a keel, and no proximal spatulated end (Karling 1965 and Pawlak 1969). <i>H. quadristimulus</i> has a straight stylet 80–82 µm long with a funnel-like proximal end, accompanied by four needles of 65–67 µm length, with a clear keel and obviously spatulated at the proximal end. In the copulatory organ of the Faro individuals, the stylet is not curved nor does it have the funnel-like proximal end. The three individuals have six needles accompanying the stylet in a characteristic pattern and with a characteristic aspect. The stylet and the needles are shorter than in the known species. These differences are sufficiently obvious to consider the Faro population a new species. The individuals from Elba undoubtedly belong to the same species.</p> <p> Rieger (1977) claimed to have found <i>H. rostratus</i> in the Mediterranean (Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas), and also on the N. American east coast and in Bermuda, stating that, “though more careful study is necessary, the material so far suggests only extremely small differences between populations on the two sides of the Atlantic”. On the other hand, he also found <i>H. quadristimulus</i> on intertidal beaches of N. Carolina, adding that “there appear to be slight but significant differences between the N. Carolina and the French form”. The micrographs in his Fig. 7 do indeed suggest that species other than <i>H. quadristimulus</i> are involved. Material of this species, called the “Carolina form”, was used by Doe (1986a; 1986b) for a TEM analysis of the copulatory organ. Laumer & Giribet (2014) used the DNA of an unnamed species of <i>Haplopharynx</i> form Bocas del Toro (Eastern Panama) in their search for the origin of ectolecithality in Platyhelminthes.</p>Published as part of <i>Schockaert, Ernest R., 2014, Marine Macrostomorpha (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from the Algarve (Southern Portugal), pp. 577-590 in Zootaxa 3872 (5)</i> on pages 586-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/226810">http://zenodo.org/record/226810</a&gt

Tajikacelis itoi

<i>Tajikacelis itoi</i> (Tajika, 1981) <p>(Figs 1G, 2G, 8A–C, 10G)</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Species of <i>Tajikacelis</i> with a very strongly recurved stylet, 88–99 μm long (N=6), with a proximal opening of 38–46 μm quickly narrowing to about 11–15 μm and 5–7 μm distally and with an oblique terminal opening. Ovaries close to the pharynx. More than 40 densely packed testes from midway brain and ovaries, extending just behind the ovaries. Female duct widened to a postpenial bursa with a two ventral vaginas.</p> <p> <b>Occurrence</b>. West Hokkaido, Japan.</p> <p> <b>Material studied</b>. The type material, consisting of 19 series of sections (one of which the holotype) and 7 whole mounts.</p> <p> <b>Additional remarks</b>. <i>T. itoi</i> is the only species of the genus differing for the orientation of its stylet, with its convex side pointing backwards instead of forwards. As a consequence, its distal opening is anteriorly oriented; whereas it is ventrally and backwards oriented in the rest of species. The unique feature of the species could be confirmed on direct examination of the type material, as well as the accuracy of Tajika’s description (1981).</p>Published as part of <i>Curini-Galletti, Marco & Schockaert, Ernest R., 2021, Six new species ofArchimonocelididae Meixner, 1938 (Platyhelminthes, Proseriata) from the Pacific, with proposal of a new genus, pp. 515-528 in Zootaxa 4965 (3)</i> on pages 523-524, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4965.3.6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4754366">http://zenodo.org/record/4754366</a&gt

Tajikacelis keke

Tajikacelis keke (Martens and Curini-Galletti, 1989) (Fig. 8D, 10H) Diagnosis. A thick species of Tajikacelis with a short funnel shaped stylet, 28 μm long, with a proximal opening of 21 μm and a small, truncated distal opening. With 13 testes in a row, may possess a single seminal vesicle but observations of the living specimen were very difficult (see Martens & Curini-Galletti 1989). Occurrence. Kudingareng Keke, South Sulawesi (Indonesia), coral sand, littoral, (type locality)(17 October 1984). Material studied. The type material, consisting of a whole mount.Published as part of Curini-Galletti, Marco & Schockaert, Ernest R., 2021, Six new species ofArchimonocelididae Meixner, 1938 (Platyhelminthes, Proseriata) from the Pacific, with proposal of a new genus, pp. 515-528 in Zootaxa 4965 (3) on pages 524-525, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4965.3.6, http://zenodo.org/record/475436